The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced the signing of free agent right-handed pitcher Josh Stinson to a minor league contract. They have also given him an invitation to Spring Training.
Stinson has pitched parts of four seasons in the majors, spending time with the New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles. He made eight appearances for the Orioles this season, posting a 6.23 ERA in 13 innings. At AAA, he had a 5.48 ERA over 85.1 innings, making 13 starts and nine relief appearances. While just two of his 39 big league appearances have been as a starter, nearly half of his minor league appearances over a nine-year career have come in a starting role.
The 26-year-old Stinson was drafted in the 37th round out of high school in 2006 by the Mets. He has a 1.39 GO/AO ratio and a 6.2 SO/9 ratio during his minor league career.
