Pirates Acquire Peter Strzelecki
While the Pittsburgh Pirates non-tendered Connor Joe and Bryan De La Cruz on Friday evening, another notable move was made by the Bucs, as they acquired RHP Peter Strzelecki from the Cleveland Guardians, in exchange for cash considerations.
Early in the 2024 season, Cleveland obtained Strzelecki from the Arizona Diamondbacks; also in a cash deal.
Strzelecki spent most of this year pitching for AAA Columbus, where he posted a 5.01 ERA in 44 relief appearances, but did manage to have a respectable, 3.55 FIP.
The Guardians recalled Strzelecki a few times. He appeared in 10 games with Cleveland, posting an ERA of 2.31. The 30-year-old righty relied mostly on his four-seamer, which he threw 42.2% of the time. Despite averaging just 92.3 mph, he produced an average exit velocity against of 82.9. Strzelecki held opponents to a .231 average with his changeup, while his slider was only hit at a .143 clip.
In parts of three MLB seasons, Strzelecki has registered a 3.44 ERA. He has 86 strikeouts in 83.2 innings thrown, for a 9.3 K/9. The walk rate isn’t bad either at a 3.2 BB/9.
Strzelecki is out of minor league options, so there‘s a decent chance that he could be apart of the Pirates’ bullpen, as a potential middle relief candidate.