Pirates Sign RHP Mike Clevinger to Minor-League Deal, Non-Roster Invite

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Feb. 4 that veteran right-hander Mike Clevinger has signed a minor-league contract and will be a non-roster invitee to spring training. The move adds experienced depth to Pittsburgh’s pitching inventory while placing a low-cost bet on a former frontline starter trying to rebuild his standing after injury and time in Triple-A.

Clevinger arrives with recent mixed results. MLB.com noted the 35-year-old made eight Major League relief appearances for the Chicago White Sox in March and April 2025, totaling 5.2 innings, but spent most of the season at Triple-A Charlotte. At Charlotte he went 7-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 100.2 innings, allowing 47 earned runs and striking out 93 across 22 starts. MLB Trade Rumors summarized that performance as: "He had a decent year, allowing a 4.20 ERA with league average strikeout (21.9%) and walk (8.5%) marks."

The recent injury history that has limited Clevinger must factor into Pittsburgh’s evaluation. MLB Trade Rumors wrote that Clevinger "was limited to four starts in 2024 by a neck injury that required surgery and hasn't been much of a factor at the MLB level over the past two years." MLB.com framed 2024 as a season curtailed by "multiple injuries," noting he logged only 16.0 major league innings that year. Those health questions help explain why the club opted for a minor-league deal and a non-roster invite rather than a guaranteed major-league contract.

Clevinger’s track record still includes high points that justify a look in big-league camp. His 2023 season with the White Sox produced a 9-9 record and a 3.77 ERA in 131.1 innings, with 110 strikeouts and two complete games. His earlier tenure in Cleveland produced perhaps his most durable stretch: from 2016-20 he went 42-22 with a 3.20 ERA across 523.1 innings and 584 strikeouts. As MLB Trade Rumors observed, 2025 was "the ninth season in which Clevinger logged some MLB action."

The signing also landed in a broader roster narrative. Rumbunter led with the headline, "The Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday announced a minor-league deal with Mike Clevinger, inviting the 35-year-old right-hander to Major League camp as a non-roster invitee." Rumbunter went on to position the move against bigger-market trade whispers, writing: "That contrast - Framber Valdez in the rumor mill, Mike Clevinger on a minor-league deal - says a lot about where this organization still is." Rumbunter added that the Pirates will argue the two approaches can coexist, but warned that adding "another veteran with a checkered recent track record only invites more of the same criticism" as the club balances reputational risk and immediate competitiveness.

Practical implications for Pirates fans are straightforward. Clevinger represents a reclamation target who must prove health and effectiveness to earn a roster spot; his non-roster status means low financial risk for Pittsburgh while giving Clevinger a platform. One outlet’s commenter summed fan sentiment bluntly: "Aim for Valdez and get Clevinger." For Clevinger, spring camp is the next test; for the Pirates, his performance will be a small but visible data point in assessing whether to chase higher-profile pitching upgrades or lean on inexpensive veteran reclamation projects.