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Pirates Trying to Make David Whitehead More Than Just a Sinkerballer

ALTOONA - Over the off-season, the Pirates traded Charlie Morton to the Phillies in a deal that was largely a salary dump. They freed up $8 M this year in the move, but the prospect they got back was more of a project than an established guy with a certain MLB upside.

David Whitehead came to the Pirates as a 23-year-old sinkerballer who posted a 4.44 ERA in the Florida State League last year, and hadn't pitched above Double-A. It was difficult to see how he fit in to the Pirates' mix. They had a rotation full of prospects in Indianapolis.