TheFightinPhils
02-10-2005, 11:01 PM
PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Pirates signed injured starting pitchers John Van Benschoten and Sean Burnett and catcher J.R. House to one-year contracts Thursday.
The right-handed Van Benschoten will miss the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last month. Burnett, a left-hander who won five straight starts shortly after his callup last season, is expected to miss most of the season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery.
Burnett, the Pirates' 2000 first-round draft pick, and Van Benschoten, a first-round pick in 2001, both made their major league debuts last season. Burnett was 5-5 with a 5.02 ERA in 13 starts and Van Benschoten was 1-3 with a 6.91 ERA in six games, including five starts.
House is a one-time top prospect whose defensive liabilities have kept him from competing for a starting job. He goes into spring training next week as the No. 3 catcher behind Benito Santiago and Humberto Cota.
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/10867186.htm
The right-handed Van Benschoten will miss the season after undergoing shoulder surgery last month. Burnett, a left-hander who won five straight starts shortly after his callup last season, is expected to miss most of the season after undergoing reconstructive elbow surgery.
Burnett, the Pirates' 2000 first-round draft pick, and Van Benschoten, a first-round pick in 2001, both made their major league debuts last season. Burnett was 5-5 with a 5.02 ERA in 13 starts and Van Benschoten was 1-3 with a 6.91 ERA in six games, including five starts.
House is a one-time top prospect whose defensive liabilities have kept him from competing for a starting job. He goes into spring training next week as the No. 3 catcher behind Benito Santiago and Humberto Cota.
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/10867186.htm