Pirates release Zac Fuesser, Seth McClung

The Pirates have released minor-league pitchers Zac Fuesser, Dalton Friend, Ethan Hollingsworth and Kevin Kleis, as well as big-league NRI Seth McClung. McClung, 33, has not pitched in the big leagues since 2009 and only appeared in one game with the Pirates this spring.

Of the minor leaguers, Zac Fuesser, of the 2009 Zac/Zach/Zack Attack, is the most significant. He received a $125,000 bonus out of community college and got decent results throughout his minor-league career, although the Pirates never seemed to regard him as a serious prospect, perhaps because he didn't have the stuff or projectability of some of the other pitchers the Pirates drafted in 2009. Fuesser pitched fairly well out of the Bradenton bullpen last year, though, so if he wants to continue his career with another organization, he might be able to.