Pirates Sign RHP Mike Clevinger to Minor-League Deal, Non-Roster Invite
Mike Clevinger signed a minor-league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates and will be a non-roster invite to spring camp, giving the veteran a chance to reestablish himself for the majors.
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.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
