BRADENTON, Fla. — The endorsements weren’t the main thing that persuaded Eric O’Flaherty to sign with the Pirates, but they didn’t hurt.
O’Flaherty texted his former teammate in Oakland, Jesse Chavez, who broke into the majors in Pittsburgh in 2008. He asked Brian McCann, whom he played with in Atlanta, to check with Justin Wilson, who McCann caught while with the New York Yankees. But when asked “Why the Pirates,” O’Flaherty pointed to the standings.
“First of all, they’re good,” O’Flaherty said. “What was it, 98 wins last year?”
O’Flaherty joined the Pirates in February on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.