Kevin Siegrist suspended for failing to report

Left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist cut short a very brief stay in the Pirates’ organization by electing free agency. He had an opt-out clause that allowed him to do so if he didn’t make the major league roster by opening day. That’s a little different from what I thought; my understanding was that he could opt out only if some other team wanted to put him on their roster. That obviously wasn’t the case, but his opt-out was evidently broader than that.

I don’t find this too troubling. Siegrist’s velocity was down last year to about 92 and he wasn’t effective. In spring training he was down further, to the upper-80s, and the Pirates didn’t think his command was very good. This probably is no loss, at least in the short term, but it does reduce the team’s bullpen depth even further.

UPDATE: Turns out I was right initially. Siegrist only had the right to opt out if another team offered a roster spot. None did and he refused to report, so the Pirates suspended him. He has a full opt out right on June 1. I don’t feel sympathetic.