Pirates release Armando Rios
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates, unwilling to go to salary arbitration with the oft-injured Armando Rios, released the outfielder on Wednesday. Rios was acquired by the Pirates with right-hander Ryan Vogelsong for pitcher Jason Schmidt and outfielder John Vander Wal on July 30, 2001, but was injured for most of his time with Pittsburgh.
He tore a left knee ligament in his first game with the Pirates, then spent most of last season hobbled by several injuries. He hit .264 with one home run, 24 RBIs and 12 extra-base hits in 208 at-bats last season, with most of his production coming in September. The season before, he hit 14 homers with the Giants.
Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield said Rios struggled to make the adjustment from being a part-time player in San Francisco to an everyday right fielder in Pittsburgh.
He started the season as a regular but, bothered by another knee injury that occurred late in spring training, didn’t hit for either power or average.
“It was one of those situations that didn’t work out the way we hoped,” Littlefield said. “We just didn’t feel Rios would be a fit for us (in the 2003 season).”
Rios made $925,000 last season, and the Pirates didn’t want to pay him the $1 million-plus he likely would have made by going to arbitration.
So far, the Pirates haven’t gotten much from the Schmidt deal that helped the Giants get into the World Series. Vogelsong injured an elbow in his second Pirates start in 2001 and also was sidelined last season.
The Pirates altered their 40-man roster by designating right-hander John Grabow for assignment and adding right-hander Bobby Bradley, left-hander Dave Williams, catcher Ryan Doumit, infielders Pat Meares and Walter Young and infielder Jose Castillo.
Grabow was taken off the 40-man roster after going 8-13 with a 5.47 ERA at Double-A Altoona.
Williams and Meares were moved from the 60-day disabled list to the 40-man roster. Meares, who missed last season with a left wrist injury that has never properly healed since he was hurt in 1999, already has agreed not to play next season. He will be paid the $3.75 million due in the final year of his four-year contract.