Pirates notebook: Kyle Crick dropped after minor-league pitcher Dillon Peters acquired from Angels

The quest for capable pitching arms at all levels of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization continued Monday when the Pirates sent cash considerations to the Los Angeles Angels for left-handed pitcher Dillon Peters.

The team immediately assigned Peters to Triple-A Indianapolis, but the Pirates plan to use him there — and, potentially, in Pittsburgh — as a starter. In the meantime, he will be returning home to Indianapolis, where he attended Cathedral High School.

To make room for Peters on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated right-handed relief pitcher Kyle Crick for assignment.

Peters, 28, has spent this season at Triple-A Salt Lake, where he compiled a 2-2 record with a 4.35 ERA in eight starts. He was designated for assignment by the Angels last Wednesday with a career 7-8 record and 5.38 ERA in 31 MLB games (24 starts).

Selected by the Miami Marlins in the 10th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, Peters made his debut with the Marlins in 2017. He was traded to the Angels after the 2018 season.

“Really commands the zone,” manager Derek Shelton said. “We’ve heard good things about him as a person. It just adds to our starter depth throughout the organization.

“The ability to command the strike zone is something (Pirates baseball operations) isolated. That’s important. With left-handers who can do that, that can play.”

Crick has been with the Pirates since 2018, when he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants, with Bryan Reynolds, for Andrew McCutchen.

Crick, 28, was a significant contributor in the bullpen during his first two seasons with the Pirates, appearing in 106 games with a 3.54 ERA. Late in the 2019 season, he injured a finger on his pitching hand in a fight with then-teammate Felipe Vazquez. Both players were fined.

Under new management, Crick returned to the team in 2020 and pitched in seven games during an injury-plagued season.

This season, he was 1-1 with a 4.44 ERA and 1.356 WHIP in 27 games. He was on the injured list twice, first for covid-19 complications and later for a right triceps strain.

Overall, Crick leaves the 40-man roster with a 7-11 record, 3.62 ERA and 1.349 WHIP in 150 games with the Pirates.

“It’s a challenging decision anytime you need a roster spot,” Shelton said. “Right now, we’re just looking to give opportunities to other guys in our bullpen. Because of that, he ended up being the odd man out on the 40-man.”

Frazier rested

Second baseman Adam Frazier was replaced by Wilmer Difo in the starting lineup Monday for the opener of the Arizona Diamondbacks series.

“Just a day off,” Shelton said. “Just figured one day with us getting left-handers, although he’s hit left-handers all year. Just picking one of them and giving him the first one (off) after the travel day.”

Shelton said Gregory Polanco didn’t start Monday for the same reason. Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes also will be rested on the road trip that concludes Sunday in San Francisco.

“We have to be mindful of where we’re at,” Shelton said before the Pirates’ 94th game of the season.

For the record, Frazier has hit three of his four home runs this season against left-handers, with a .309 batting average (off slightly from his .332 against right-handers).

Overall, Frazier is second in the National League with a .326 batting average, four points behind Nick Castellanos of the Cincinnati Reds.

Left-hander Caleb Smith started for the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Stallings at the dish

Catcher Jacob Stallings has a career-high eight home runs and 40 RBIs, but Shelton said his ability to work with the long line of young pitchers the Pirates have used this season is especially important.

“When you have that stability back there, it puts your mind at ease,” Shelton said. “Defensively, he just continues to work on what makes him good, and that’s the pitch framing and how he receives the baseball. It’s one of those things when you’re really good at it, you just have to make sure you maintain it, and he’s done a nice job of that.”

Draft choice signs

The Pirates signed shortstop Brenden Dixon, their 20th-round choice in the first-year player draft last week. He hit .335, with 10 home runs and 39 RBIs, this season at Weatherford (Texas) College. He was assigned to the Florida Complex League.