During parts of eight years in the Pirates organization, Jeff Locke both made an All-Star team and pitched his way out of the starting rotation. Now the 29-year-old left-hander begins the next phase of his major league career after the Pirates removed him from their roster.
Needing better production from an underperforming starting rotation, the Pirates designated Locke for assignment Tuesday rather than give him a raise in arbitration.
Locke did not respond to messages from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but he spoke to Lloyd Jones of the Conway (N.H.) Daily Sun, his hometown newspaper:
“All that I was told on Tuesday was that I was being designated and that teams have until Friday to claim me, which won't likely happen because they’d have to take me to arbitration,” Locke told the paper.