Pirates outright Jose Tabata

The Pirates have outrighted Jose Tabata (who was designated for assignment when the Bucs acquired Preston Guilmet), and Tabata has accepted the assignment.

Given Tabata's contract, which remains a minor annoyance, the Pirates can do this pretty much whenever they want. Tabata isn't going to reject an assignment and forego the guaranteed money on his contract, and no one is going to claim Tabata, either. Tabata is a big-league-caliber player -- well, sort of. And as Guapo pointed out in the last Tabata thread, the fact that no one will claim him effectively means that when he's in the minors, it's as if the Pirates have an extra 40-man roster spot. That wouldn't be possible if Tabata were good, or if his contract were good, but it's something.

Anyway, the Pirates still owe Tabata $8.75 million -- $4 million next year, $4.5 million in 2016, and then a $250,000 buyout after that season, after which I'm sure there will be some high-fiving around the Pirates' front office.