Slaten refuses outright assignment, becomes free agent

The Pirates announced that left handed pitcher Doug Slaten has refused his outright assignment and will elect free agency.

Slaten appeared in ten games with Pittsburgh in 2012 and spent most of the year in Triple-A, posting a 2.11 ERA in 40 relief appearances.

Analysis: Slaten is a very inconsistent pitcher but I've always thought of him as a power arm out of the bullpen. He tends to dial up his fastball and can definitely present a real threat out there when he is on his A game. Look for him to sign a minor league deal with someone, and I expect that there will be some interest considering that left handed relievers are hard to come by.