Pittsburgh Pirates Release Erik Bedard

The Pittsburgh Pirates released veteran left-hander Erik Bedard late last night, according to an unconfirmed report from Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

This is NOT confirmed by the Pirates, but I just heard — at about 1 a.m. Tuesday — that they’ve released Erik Bedard, this from a long-time, highly reliable source with direct ties to the pitcher.

Bedard, signed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal out of free agency last winter, is 7-14 with a 5.01 ERA and has given up 16 runs in his past three starts.

After a promising start to the season, putting up a 3.59 ERA through his first twelve starts, Bedard has struggled. The 33-year-old left-hander has averaged just over five innings a start in the past month, posting a 7.71 ERA in his last five appearances.

If news of Bedard's release is true, teams still seeking rotation help like the Los Angeles Dodgers could take a flyer on the oft-injured veteran. While his overall numbers this season have been disappointing, the silver lining is that this is the first time since 2006 in which Bedard has not had a prolonged stint on the disabled list.