The Rays have acquired right-hander Aaron Slegers from the Pirates, the team confirmed Saturday. The Pirates will receive cash considerations in the deal.
Slegers, 26, was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Thursday. He pitched just eight innings in spring training, logging three strikeouts against 38 batters faced and allowing four runs on 10 hits and three walks. While it’s hard to point to any recent performance that isn’t sample-sized -- he totaled fewer than 30 cumulative innings at the major-league level in 2017-2018 -- the right-hander turned in a workable 3.80 ERA, 2.0 BB/9, and 6.0 SO/9 through 85 1/3 innings in Triple-A Rochester last year. According to MLB.com’s Juan Toribio, he’ll start the 2019 season in Triple-A Durham.
In a corresponding move, lefty reliever Anthony Banda was moved to the 60-day injured list to clear roster space for Slegers. Banda underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2018 and is not expected to make a full recovery until 2020.
