Pirates claim RHP Eric Hanhold off waivers from Orioles; 3 players become free agents
The Pittsburgh Pirates added another bullpen arm Wednesday by claiming right-handed pitcher Eric Hanhold off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, and had three players become free agents.
Right-handed pitchers Trevor Cahill and Shelby Miller and first baseman/outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo were among the 160 MLB players who were declared free agents.
Tsutsugo batted .268/.347/.535 with eight doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 43 games, and Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has expressed interest in re-signing the slugger. Cahill was 1-5 with a 6.57 ERA in nine games before spending most of the season on the injured list, first with left calf discomfort then a fractured right foot. Miller was 0-1 wiht a 5.06 ERA in 10 relief appearances.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Hanhold throws a four-seam fastball that averaged 95 mph, a slider, changeup and sinker. Hanhold, 28, allowed eight runs in 10 1/3 innings last season for the Orioles. He spent most of the season with Triple-A Norfolk, going 1-1 with four saves and a 5.19 ERA, recording 27 strikeouts and 16 walks in 25 appearances.
A sixth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015, Hanhold was traded to the New York Mets for former Pirates second baseman Neil Walker in September 2017. He was claimed off waivers by the Orioles in September 2019.
Kevin Gorman is a TribLive reporter covering the Pirates. A Baldwin native and Penn State graduate, he joined the Trib in 1999 and has covered high school sports, Pitt football and basketball and was a sports columnist for 10 years. He can be reached at kgorman@triblive.com.
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