The Pirates released Wendzel on Sunday.
Shortly after dropping Wendzel from its 40-man roster to clear a spot for right-hander Noah Murdock, Pittsburgh opted to let the 29-year-old infielder get a head start on finding his next destination by cutting him loose rather than waiting for the waiver process to play out. Wendzel had spent most of the season at Tripe-A Indianapolis, slashing .230/.349/.461 with 10 home runs and two stolen bases across 261 plate appearances.