MLB.com’s Adam Berry reports that the Pirates have declined options on infielders Josh Harrison and Jung Ho Kang, making them both free agents. Harrison’s option was for $10.5 million and Kang’s was for $5.5 million.
Harrison, 31, was limited to 97 games in 2018 due to a fractured hand and a hamstring injury. He hit a disappointing .250/.293/.363 with eight home runs and 37 RBI in 374 plate appearances.
Kang, 31, was recently allowed to return to the Pirates. He missed the entire 2017 season following an arrest for his third DUI in South Korea. Kang had also been investigated in 2016 by Chicago police for an alleged sexual assault incident. In three games for the Pirates at the end of this past season, Kang registered a pair of singles in six trips to the plate.