Pirates claim RHP Jorge Rondon off waivers

The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed right-handed pitcher Jorge Rondon off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.

The 27-year-old Rondon began the 2015 season with Triple-A Albuquerque in the Colorado organization and posted a 1.35 ERA in five games. He made two relief appearances with the Rockies on 4/28 and 5/1 before being claimed off waivers by Baltimore on 5/10.

Rondon was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk, where he went 3-1 with one save and a 2.33 ERA (54.0ip/14er) in 30 relief outings. He also had three separate stints with the Orioles, where he made a total of eight appearances, five of which came after his September recall. 

The Venezuelan native was originally signed by St. Louis as a non-drafted free agent on 7/3/06. Following the 2012 campaign, Rondon was rated by Baseball America as having the "Best Slider" in the St. Louis organization. He made his Major League debut with the Cardinals in 2014, appearing in his lone game that season on 6/29. Rondon was claimed off waivers by Colorado on 11/3/14.

There are currently 38 players on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster.