According to Baseball America, the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed 28-year-old right-handed pitcher Chris Volstad to a minor league deal. He was a starting pitcher for four season with the Florida Marlins before being dealt to the Chicago Cubs prior to the 2012 season. Volstad had a 4.59 ERA in 584 innings with the Marlins, having his best season as a rookie in 2008 when he had a 2.88 ERA in 14 starts and one relief appearance.
With the Cubs, he had a 6.31 ERA in 21 starts and was put on waivers at the end of the season, where he was picked up by the Royals. After getting released before he pitched a game for Kansas City, Volstad signed with the Rockies and got hit hard in six relief appearances during the 2013 season. In 2014, he made 14 starts in Korea, posting a 6.21 ERA. In July, he signed with the Angels and made seven minor league starts, getting hit hard again, finishing with a 6.18 ERA.
Volstad was ranked in Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list three times from 2006 until 2008, topping out at #40 in 2007. He is an extreme ground ball pitcher, posting a career 2.07 GO/AO ratio in the minors and 1.52 in the Majors.
