Yaaaarrrrrr! He's a Pirate now, Matey!

Justin Thomas ('06) couldn't sneak through waivers.

The Pittsburgh Pirates today announced that they have claimed left-handed pitcher Justin Thomas off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. The announcement was made by Pirates Senior Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.

Thomas, 25, spent the entire 2009 season with Triple-A Tacoma, where he went 2-4 with six saves and a 4.48 ERA in 53 relief appearances.

"Justin Thomas is a competitive, aggressive and physical lefthander with an average three pitch mix," said Huntington. "With continued development, we feel he could be an interesting option for our bullpen."

That happened because of this.

Mariners clear five spots on roster

The Mariners created five openings on their 40-man roster on Thursday afternoon.

Infielder-outfielder Bryan LaHair, left-handed pitcher Cesar Jimenez and right-handers Randy Messenger and Marwin Vega all were outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma. Left-handed reliever Justin Thomas was claimed off waivers by the Pirates.

LaHair, Jimenez and Messenger are eligible for six-year Minor League free agency.

LaHair ('04), Jimenez ('03), and Vega ('06) are the Rattler alums on that list with Thomas.