Steven Wright, a former All-Star and two-time World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox, has reportedly signed a minor-league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates that includes an invite to spring training. The knuckleballer spent last year out of the league while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
A second-round pick of the Indians in 2006, Wright debuted with the Red Sox in 2013. The 36-year-old enjoyed a breakout season in 2016, cruising to a 13-6 record over 24 starts (3.33 ERA). That earned him his first (and, so far, only) All-Star appearance, representing the American League alongside teammates Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr., David Ortiz and Craig Kimbrel. Wright’s career year would eventually be derailed by a shoulder injury suffered while pinch-running for Ortiz, a puzzling decision manager John Farrell was widely criticized for.
The versatile right-hander has been a magnet for controversy throughout his career, serving multiple suspensions including a 15-game ban for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, the result of a domestic violence arrest in 2017. Wright was also banned 80 games after testing positive for a banned substance (HGH) in 2019.
Overall, Wright holds a career 3.86 ERA over 81 MLB pitching appearances including 44 starts. Whether Wright is still capable of contributing at the big-league level remains to be seen—injuries and suspensions have limited him to six games since 2019. But the talent-starved Pirates, who many expect to finish last in the NL Central, will take whatever help they can get, even if it’s in the form of an aging knuckleballer with a checkered past.
LISTEN NOW on the RADIO.COM App
Follow RADIO.COM Sports
Twitter | Facebook I Instagram