Pirates December Minor-League Signings (Part 1)

Though the Pittsburgh Pirates have yet to make noise on the Major League free agent market, general manager Ben Cherington has added some depth to the organization.

At the halfway point of December, the Pirates have signed a handful of minor-league free agents who could work their way to Pittsburgh at some point during the 2025 season.

There are four free agents the Pirates have agreed to minor-league deals with so far this month.

RHP Tanner Rainey

Rainey has totaled 198 appearances across seven big-league seasons, the last six of which have come with the Washington Nationals. For his career, the right-hander is 5-10 with a 5.23 ERA, 236 strikeouts and 125 walks in 189.1 innings. He recorded a career-high 12 saves with the Nationals in 2022.

While Rainey has been a high-strikeout pitcher in his career, the 31-year-old only punched out 44 batters in 51 innings last season and finished with a 4.76 ERA in 50 appearances.

His fastball velocity dipped in 2024, but the Pirates are hoping he can add a couple ticks back to the pitch and provide depth to the bullpen, an area that tends to shuffle pitchers as much as a blackjack dealer does cards in Las Vegas.

RHP Hunter Stratton

After he was non-tendered last month, the Pirates brought back Stratton on a minor-league deal.

Stratton underwent season-ending surgery on his patella tendon in his left knee in August and is expected to be sidelined until any time around Opening Day to closer to the middle of the season.

Prior to his late-season injury, Stratton was effective out of the Pirates’ bullpen. The right-hander went 2-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 36 appearances while featuring excellent command. He recorded his first-career save on March 31 against the Marlins in Miami.

INF/OF Nick Solak

Solak didn’t appear in the Major Leagues this past season but played parts of five seasons from 2019-23, totaling a career-high 127 games in 2021. He was originally a second-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2016.

For his career, Solak has slashed .252/.327/.372 with 35 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, 93 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 255 games.

Defensively, he offers plenty of versatility. He’s appeared in games at first base, second, third and in both left and center field.

RHP Carson Fulmer

The Pirates agreed to a minor-league deal with right-hander Carson Fulmer, as first reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray on Friday. Fulmer spent time in the Pirates’ organization in 2020 but did not appear in a game in the big leagues.

Last season with the Angels, Fulmer, who turned 31 on Friday, pitched fairly well despite an 0-5 record. Across 37 appearances/eight starts, Fulmer posted a 4.15 ERA in 86.1 innings pitched.

Fulmer was the eighth-overall pick in the 2015 draft out of Vanderbilt.