Pirates Trade Veteran Starting Pitcher to White Sox
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates continue making moves ahead of the trade deadline, but this one saw them send a player away, rather than acquire them.
The Pirates traded right-handed starting pitcher José Urquidy to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Felix Doroteo.
Pittsburgh designated Urquidy for assignment on July 24, as they placed catcher Shawn Ross on the 40-man roster, following catcher Rafael Flores Jr. going on the 7-day injured list with concussion symptoms.
The Pirates trading Urquidy away means that the White Sox were interested in acquiring him and doing so before he went on waivers, where they'll likely receive cash considerations.
Why Pirates Moved On From Urquidy
The Pirates didn't have Urquidy pitch for them since the middle of April and it didn't seem like he would come back into the fold for the rotation.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke about Urquidy on The Pirates Insider Show and said that they needed the 40-man roster spot and Urquidy ended up being their decision.
It mostly came down to the Pirates' starting rotation remaining healthy for most of the year and with him not having opportunities, they had to move on from the least consequential player with their catcher ranks depleted with injury.
“It ended up being Urquidy. When we signed Urquidy in the offseason, we did so to try to build that starting depth going into the year, it’s a long year," Cherington said.
"Now we’re late in July and it just so happens that a part of the team, knock on wood, that’s been relatively stable has been the rotation. We just haven’t had the opportunity for him. So we sort of just ran out of time with it. Needed the 40-man spot, that’s how we decided to go.”
Urquidy's Tenure With Pirates
Urquidy signed for the Pirates on a one-year, $1.5 million deal this offseason, as starting rotation depth and a veteran who had experience with new pitching coach Bill Murphy during their time with the Houston Astros.
He did not perform well with the Pirates in Spring Training, posting a 9.28 ERA over three starts in four appearances and ended up in the bullpen on the Opening Day roster.
Urquidy posted an 8.53 ERA over 6.1 innings pitched in five outings, with a .441 batting average allowed and a 2.68 WHIP.
The Pirates sent Urquidy down to Triple-A Indianapolis on April 17 and he pitched down there for three months, now getting a shot to pitch at the major league level again with the White Sox.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.