Crowe signed a contract with the KIA Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization on Saturday, the team announced.
Crowe's contract is for $1 million with a $200,000 signing bonus, $600,000 salary and $200,000 in incentives. The 29-year-old was released by the Pirates earlier in the offseason after making just five big-league appearances in 2023. The righty has a career 5.30 ERA in 210.2 innings of work at the major-league level.
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Wil Crowe: Released by Pittsburgh
Rotowire
Crowe was released by the Pirates on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Crowe was set to reach salary arbitration for the first time this winter, and the Pirates have deemed him unfit for a raise beyond the minimum MLB salary after he made only five big-league appearances in 2023. The 29-year-old right-hander holds a career 5.30 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 196:112 K:BB in 210.2 total innings of work at baseball's highest level.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Outrighted to Triple-A
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Pittsburgh outrighted Crowe to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Crowe passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment by the Pirates last week. He's made only five appearances in the majors this season, largely due to a shoulder injury that kept him out for all of May and June.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Crowe (shoulder) was activated from the 60-day injured list and designated for assignment Thursday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Crowe had a 1.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and six strikeouts in 5.2 innings during his rehab assignment. The 28-year-old righty is down from 95.3 mph on his fastball in 2022 to 94.0 mph this season, and he walked nine batters in 9.2 innings in the majors this year.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Set to be DFA'd
Rotowire
The Pirates are expected to activate Crowe (shoulder) from the 60-day injured list in the coming days and then designate him for assignment, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Since the Pirates already played Wednesday and are off Thursday, the transaction may not be made official until shortly before Friday's series opener with the Angels. Crowe has been on the shelf since late April with right shoulder discomfort, but he's looked healthy thus far during his extended rehab assignment between Single-A Bradenton and Triple-A Indianapolis. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Crowe's fastball has hovered around 94-to-95 miles per hour during the rehab assignment -- right in line with his pre-injury velocity -- so another team desperate for bullpen help could be willing to acquire the right-hander via trade or waivers.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Rehabbing in minors
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Crowe (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on July 2 and has struck out two while allowing two hits and one walk over 3.1 scoreless innings across three appearances.
Crowe has been on the IL since April 26 with right shoulder discomfort, but he looks on track to be activated at some point shortly after the All-Star break. The right-hander is expected to be a key part of the bridge to closer David Bednar once he's back in the Pittsburgh bullpen.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Throwing live batting practice
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Crowe (shoulder) advanced to throwing live batting practice Thursday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Crowe is currently working out at the Pirates' spring training complex in Florida and could be cleared to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment within the next week. He's been on the shelf since late April due to right shoulder trouble.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Throwing off flat ground
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Crowe (shoulder) has resumed throwing off flat ground, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Crowe received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right shoulder May 10 and has now been cleared to resume a throwing program three weeks later. Per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Crowe has been throwing from around 75 feet, so he'll likely need to double up that distance before advancing to mound work. Crowe is currently on the 60-day injured list and won't be eligible for activation until the latter half of June.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Underwent PRP injection
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Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk told reporters Wednesday that Crowe received a PRP injection in his right shoulder two weeks ago, and he's halfway through four weeks of not throwing, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Crowe is currently on the 60-day injured list because of his shoulder issues and isn't eligible to return to the Pittsburgh pitching staff until the end of June. The right-hander will likely be an option in the middle innings whenever he's ready to make his return.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Moved to 60-day IL
Rotowire
Crowe (shoulder) was transferred Saturday from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
This move clears out a 40-man roster spot for Miguel Andujar, who had his contract selected by the Pirates on Saturday. Crowe is out indefinitely with a right shoulder issue.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Goes on IL with shoulder issue
Rotowire
The Pirates placed Crowe on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder discomfort, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
Crowe had been knocked around in his last two appearances out of the bullpen and is now in for an extended absence. The Pirates haven't provided a timeline for Crowe's return from the IL.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Fires three-inning save
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Crowe allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over three innings against the White Sox on Friday. He struck out four and picked up a save.
Crowe tossed the last three innings of Friday's 13-9 slugfest and picked up his first save of the season. He worked through two relatively easy innings before coughing up a pair of runs in the ninth. Crowe has thrown five frames in two appearances out of the bullpen, yielding two runs with a 4:2 K:BB.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Injury considered minor
Rotowire
Crowe's right elbow inflammation is considered minor, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
Crowe landed on the injured list with his elbow issue, but Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that the right-hander probably wouldn't have required an IL stint if the season wasn't ending. It seems likely that the 28-year-old will be able to have a fairly normal offseason program.
Crowe landed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation Saturday, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports.
The timing of the injury means that Crowe's season is over, though it's not yet clear if the injury will carry over into next season. He'll end the season with a 4.38 ERA and 1.39 WHIP (both career bests) in 76 innings of work. Junior Fernandez was recalled to take his place on the roster.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Blows game Tuesday
Rotowire
Crowe (5-10) took the loss in Tuesday's 9-8 loss against the Yankees. He allowed five runs on four hits and one walk without recording an out.
Crowe entered the ninth inning with a healthy 8-4 lead but failed to record an out and suffered the loss. He allowed a solo home run off the bat of Aaron Judge to start the inning and then allowed the Yankees to load the bases for Giancarlo Stanton, who crushed a walkoff home run. The showing increased his ERA by more than half a run to 4.15 and is his third time allowing three or more runs in his last seven appearances.
Crowe allowed two hits and two walks over two scoreless innings Monday, striking out one and earning a save over the Reds.
Crowe put two Reds on base in each of the eighth and ninth frames but escaped both threats to finish off the 6-3 win. He was 2-3 with a blown save and a 6.39 ERA over his 12 previous outings since he last recorded a save Aug. 2. The 28-year-old lowered his season ERA to 3.64 with a 64:34 K:BB through 56 appearances.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Stumbles in loss
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Crowe (5-8) allowed three runs on three hits and took a loss against the Brewers on Monday. He was charged with a blown save and recorded just one out.
Crowe served up a game-tying home run to Garrett Mitchell in the eighth inning followed by Keston Hiura's walkoff blast in the ninth. The 27-year-old righty saw his season ERA jump from 3.12 to 3.51 after the rough outing. Monday was his first save chance since Aug. 2 and his first blown save since July 29.
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Pirates' Wil Crowe: Picks up win
Rotowire
Crowe (5-7) allowed one hit and struck out one across 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Friday against the Reds.
Crowe entered the game in the eighth inning with runners on first and second and allowed an inherited runner to score, which gave the Reds the lead. However, he threw a clean ninth inning and the Pirates rallied for a walk-off victory to give Crowe his fifth win of the season. Crowe has only one save since David Bednar (back) landed on the injured list, though he has picked up a pair of wins across his last five appearances. For the season, Crowe has maintained a 3.27 ERA and 1.20 WHIP with a 59:26 K:BB across 63.1 frames.
