Pittsburgh Pirates Continue Their Goal of Becoming a Yankee Farm Team

Rob Abruzzese by Senior Analyst Written on September 24, 2009
NEW YORK - APRIL 18:  Anthony Claggett #39 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium on April 18, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City.  (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

So maybe the headline is a bit of hyperbole, but the Pittsburgh Pirates added their sixth Yankee pitcher over the past two years when they claimed right handed pitcher Anthony Claggett off of waivers today.

Claggett was designated for assignment by the Yankees 10 days ago to make room on the 40-man roster for outfielder Freddy Guzman. Claggett was 7-7 with a 3.07 ERA in 39 appearances and 82 innings for the Yankees triple-A affiliate this season. He had a brief and disappointing stint in the Bronx this season, where he gave up 10 earned runs in 2.2 innings in two appearances.

The Yankees must have been pretty disappointed with Claggett to DFA him instead of Edwar Ramirez, who has been one of their most pathetic pitchers this season despite having a decent run in 2008. It could be that Claggett stopped striking out batters like he used to. He averaged 4.7 K/9 this season after 8.4 K/9 in double-A last season.

Claggett was initially acquired by the Yankees in the Gary Sheffield trade, which makes that deal look even worse because the main piece of that deal, Humberto Sanchez, has struggled just to stay in the organization after multiple injuries.

Claggett joins former Yankee minor leaguers Eric Hacker, Steven Jackson, Jeff Karstens, Daniel McCutchen, and Ross Ohlendorf as pitchers on the Pirates' roster. Another former Yankee TJ Beam makes it seven pitchers and Jose Tabata, who has played for the Pirates for the last two years. That’s a pretty impressive list.

I wonder whom they are eyeing next.

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written on September 24, 2009 Sports

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