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The San Francisco Giants have claimed right-hander Hunter Strickland off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, reports Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area.
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Strickland, 24, was designated for assignment by the Bucs last week along with first baseman Clint Robinson to make room for Brandon Inge and Jonathan Sanchez. The 6' 4" right-hander is now a member of the Giants' 40-man roster but will begin his stint with the organization at the High-A club in San Jose.
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Part of the trade that sent Adam LaRoche (briefly) to the Boston Red Sox in 2009, Strickland had a solid first half-season with the Pirates' Low-A affiliate, but then arm problems took their toll the next two seasons. The 6' 4" right-hander missed significant time in 2010 with an elbow strain then missed all of 2011 with a rotator cuff injury that eventually required surgery.
Strickland was in good health in 2012, posting a 3.70 ERA and 6.0 K/9 in 87⅔ innings between High-A and Double-A ball. Up to last season, Strickland had been used as a starting pitcher about 95 percent of the time, but the right-hander switched to a bullpen role midway through 2012, making just nine starts on the year.
The acquisition of Strickland puts the Giants' 40-man roster at an even 40.
