Pirates sign Cody Eppley, Nevin Ashley

The Pirates have signed pitcher Cody Eppley and catcher Nevin Ashley to minor-league deals, and have invited both to spring training.

Eppley, 28, pitched a fair amount out of the Yankees' bullpen in 2012, but struggled at the Triple-A level in 2013. He isn't a very typical Pirates acquisition, in that his fastball rarely cracks 90 MPH and he has a very low arm slot, but I'm not sure that matters, as it's unlikely the Pirates promote him unless he has a great year at Triple-A. Ashley, 29, caught in the Reds organization last year, and he's never played in the majors. Spring Training requires lots of catchers, though.