The Pirates added two more players to their spring training non-roster invitee list Wednesday night when they signed right-handed reliever Brandon Maurer, who once closed for the Padres, and outfielder J.B. Shuck to minor league contracts.
Maurer had a brutal season in 2018 with the Royals, posting a 7.76 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in 37 appearances. He had an 0-4 record and one save. At Triple-A Omaha, he was 1-3 with five saves, a 5.48 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in 19 games.
Maurer would have a $1.5-million salary in the major leagues and the opportunity to earn $1.5 million in performance bonuses. He also can opt out of the deal if not placed on the 40-man roster by March 24 or June 15.
Once a highly regarded prospect, the 28-year-old Maurer has a 16-31 career record, 36 saves, 5.36 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 289 games (21 starts) is six seasons with the Mariners (2013-14), Padres (2015-17) and Royals (2017-18).
He had a career-high 22 saves in 2017, 20 with San Diego and two with Kansas City.
The Mariners selected Maurer in the 23rd round of the 2008 draft from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School, where he was a classmate of current Astros and former Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole.
Maurer would receive $100,000 each for 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 games pitched and $250,000 each for 55, 60, 65 and 70.
Shuck, 31, played in 70 games for the Marlins last season and hit .192/.255/.231. He is a lifetime .244/.294/.316 hitter with eight home runs in 433 games over six seasons with the Astros (2011), Angels (2013-14), Indians (2014), White Sox (2015-16) and Marlins (2018).
Shuck has made 178 career starts – 84 in left field, 63 in center and 31 in right.
The Astros chose him in the sixth round of the 2008 draft from Ohio State.
Meanwhile, the Pirates also signed right-hander Vicente Campos to a minor league contract but did not invite him to major league camp. The 26-year-old was released by the Angels last season after suffering arm problems for two years and finished the year in the independent Atlantic League.
Campos made one major league start in 2016 for the Diamondbacks, allowing three runs in 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision. He is a cousin of Braves left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., last year's National League Rookie of the Year.