The Pirates effectively closed the book on left-hander Jeff Locke’s six-year tenure with the organization by designating him for assignment Tuesday to make room for right-hander Lisalverto Bonilla, a 26-year-old free agent who had a 3.97 ERA this season at the Class AA and Class AAA levels.
Bonilla pitched five games for the Texas Rangers in 2014 and had a 3.05 ERA. He spent last season in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, working both as a starter and as a reliever.
The terms of Bonilla’s contract are not yet known.
Locke, 29, was a likely candidate to be non-tendered later this week.