Pirates' WBC pitcher leaves contract to seek spot with new team

The Pittsburgh Pirates may end up a pitcher short after the roster moves shake out this week.

The guy in question is Joe La Sora, who spent much of the month at the World Baseball Classic with the surprise Team Italy.

The scoop, according to Ari Alexander, is that La Sorsa has an upward mobility clause.

That means, because La Sorsa has been informed he won't be making the Opening Day roster of the Pirates, he's activating that clause..

The upward mobility clause offers him to the 29 other teams in MLB since he isn't going to be on the Pirates' roster.

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If another team wants La Sorsa, Pittsburgh has to either give him a roster spot themself or trade him to the team that will.

If nobody else wants him, La Sorsa can be sent down to the minor leagues.

La Sorsa is 27 years old, a southpaw who pitched 2.2 innings with Italy at the WBC.

He has thrown 57 career MLB innings between the Rays, Nationals and Reds, with mediocre numbers, including a 5.21 ERA.

Last season, La Sorsa was mostly at Triple-A and had a 2.59 ERA.

It's not yet clear which, if any, team might go after La Sorsa in this scenario.

But it's a piece of his contract with the Pirates that could allow him to leave Pittsburgh if someone else wants him.

It could work out quite nicely for La Sorsa, but it could also mean that the Pirates lose a lefty before the season starts.

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