The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that the team has signed right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger to a minor league contract and invited him to 2026 Major League camp as a non-roster pitcher.
The 35-year-old Clevinger made eight Major League relief appearances (5.2ip) in March and April with Chicago (AL) during the 2025 campaign, but he spent the majority of the season at Charlotte (White Sox’ Triple-A), where he went 7-3 with a 4.20 ERA (100.2ip/47er) and 93 strikeouts across his 22 starts.
He was limited to four Major League starts (16.0ip) with the White Sox due to multiple injuries in 2024, but he went 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA (131.1ip/55er) and 110 strikeouts over his 24 starts with Chicago during the 2023 season, his last full season in the majors (Clevinger also pitched two complete games that season).
Prior to joining the White Sox, Clevinger had a 4.12 ERA (133.1ip/61er) and 110 strikeouts in 27 games (26 starts) with San Diego in 2020 and 2022 (missed 2021 while recovering from “Tommy John” surgery).
He made his Major League debut with Cleveland in 2016 and went 42-22 with a 3.20 ERA (523.1ip/186er) and 584 strikeouts in 101 regular-season games (88 starts) with the team from 2016- 20. His 2.96 ERA (447.2ip/147er) from 2017-19 ranked fourth in the American League (min. 400.0 innings) in that stretch.
Clevinger, who was originally selected by Los Angeles (AL) in the fourth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, has gone a combined 60-44 with a 3.55 ERA (809.2ip/319er) and 822 strikeouts across 164 regular-season games (142 starts) with Cleveland (2016-20), San Diego (2020, 2022) and Chicago-AL (2023-25).
He has also pitched 15.2 innings in 10 postseason games (four starts) with Cleveland (2016-18) and San Diego (2020 and 2022), including four relief appearances (5.2ip) for the 2016 American League champions.
There are now 61 players (a full 40-man roster and 21 non-roster invitees) in Major League camp.