The Pirates have made a pair of minor-league signings ahead of the impending lockout between the league and players.
Per a source, right-hander Jerad Eickhoff and catcher Jamie Ritchie have both signed. The club has yet to announce either deal.
Eickhoff, 31, was once a promising young Phillies pitcher, but saw his career take a downturn in 2018 after experiencing finger numbness. He eventually underwent carpal tunnel surgery, but has not had nearly the same level of success that he had before.
He pitched 19 ⅔ innings over five appearances with the Mets in 2021, allowing 24 runs, 19 of them earned. He recorded a 4.86 ERA over 16 starts for their Class AAA affiliate.
While his fastball velocity averaged just 90 mph in his major-league cameo last year, his curveball still got high spin, sitting in the 2600-2700 RPM range. He also mixes in a slider and changeup.
There’s no word if he will be a starter or reliever.
Ritchie, 28, is a former 13th-round pick who has yet to reach the majors, though he did have a good offensive season for the Diamondbacks' Class AAA affiliate, slashing .317/.417/.430 with four home runs and a 120 wRC+ over 336 plate appearances. In general, he has hit well at every stop in the minors.
Catcher is an interesting position for the Pirates. While they have acquired plenty of interesting prospects over the past 12 months -- including first-overall draft pick Henry Davis, Carter Bins, Endy Rodriguez and Abrahan Gutierrez -- none of them are major-league ready and may not even reach Class AAA in 2022.
After Monday's Jacob Stallings trade, Ritchie could theoretically be minor-league depth or compete for a major league job.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement will expire Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. All deals will need to be completed by then.