Pirates trade RHP Bryse Wilson to Brewers for cash considerations

Kevin Gorman | Wednesday, January 4, 2023 4:47 p.m.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Pirates pitcher Bryse Wilson reacts after giving up back-to-back home runs during the sixth inning of a game against the Brewers on Aug. 2, 2022, at PNC Park.

Bryse Wilson is headed to the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced they traded the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher to their NL Central Division rival Wednesday for cash considerations. The Pirates designated Wilson for assignment Dec. 28, when they signed lefty reliever Jarlin Garcia.

Wilson, 25, was 4-13 with a 5.37 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 33 appearances, including 28 starts, for the Pirates after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves, along with minor league pitcher Ricky DeVito, in a 2021 trade deadline deal for reliever Richard Rodriguez.

Last season, Wilson was 3-9 with a 5.52 ERA and 1.42 WHIP, 79 strikeouts against 32 walks, and he allowed 20 home runs in 115 2/3 innings over 25 games, including 20 starts. Wilson got hit hard, as opponents had a .291 expected batting average and .474 expected slugging percentage against him last season.

Wilson was dominant at Triple-A Indianapolis — going 5-0 with a 2.97 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and six walks in six starts — and learned to focus on his sinker/slider combination while developing a split-fingered fastball to get ground balls at a career-best 44.8% rate. Over his final 14 appearances, including 12 starts, Wilson had a 4.80 ERA with opponents slashing .262/.316/.461. His best performance was a three-hitter with six strikeouts over eight scoreless innings in a 4-3 walk-off win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 28.