Pirates
Domingo Germán Among Six Pirates to Elect Free Agency

Six players who finished the season in the minor leagues but appeared in games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024 have elected free agency prior to the deadline earlier this week.
The six players were all outrighted off the Pirates 40-man roster during the regular season and met the necessary criteria to hit the free agent market sooner than traditional free agents.
Here are the half dozen Pirates’ minor leaguers who elected free agency.
LHP Justin Bruihl
Bruihl began the season at Triple-A Louisville for the Cincinnati Reds but signed a Major League deal with the Pirates in June. The left-hander made seven appearances out of the bullpen and allowed six runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched.
RHP Domingo Germán
The Pirates controversially signed Germán as a minor league free agent during spring training. He eventually reached Pittsburgh where he went 0-1 with a 7.84 ERA in seven appearances/two starts.
OF Billy McKinney
McKinney was acquired in a trade from the New York Yankees during the offseason and spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A before a promotion late in the year. In 10 games with the Pirates, McKinney slashed .200/.286/.240 with a double and a pair of RBIs.
OF Edward Olivares
The Pirates acquired Olivares from the Kansas City Royals in an offseason trade hoping he would be a solution in the outfield. It didn’t pan out as the 28-year-old hit .224 with a .624 OPS, five home runs and 23 RBIs in 55 games.
RHP Ryder Ryan
Ryan shuffled between Triple-A Indianapolis and the big leagues a bunch this season. He totaled 15 appearances with the Pirates, got his first big league win and posted a 5.66 ERA across 20.2 innings.
RHP Jake Woodford
The Pirates often needed a spot starter during the final stretch of the season and called Woodford’s name several times. The right-hander went 0-4 with a 7.09 ERA in seven appearances/five starts.
*These six players are separate from the Pirates’ upcoming free agent class, which can be found here.