D-backs acquire Zach Duke

The Pirates have traded Zach Duke to the Diamondbacks for a player to be named later, the club announced on Wednesday.

Duke had been designated for assignment on Friday, which gave the Pirates a 10-day window to trade the left-hander. He would have become a free agent if Pittsburgh had not made a deal.

Pittsburgh removed Duke from the 40-man roster after deciding that the club would not tender him a contract. The starter was to be arbitration eligible for the third time this offseason and was likely to see his $4.3 million salary increase to around $5 million.

Duke, who was selected by the Pirates in the 20th round of the ’01 First-Year Player Draft, ends his tenure in Pittsburgh with a 45-70 record and 4.54 ERA in 160 games (159 starts). He went 8-15 with a 5.72 ERA last season.

– Jenifer Langosch