MAY 4th: Raynor was returned to the Marlins, tweets MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
APRIL 27th: The Pirates designated outfielder John Raynor for assignment to make room for Jeff Karstens, reports Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Raynor is a Rule 5 pick from the Marlins, and GM Neal Huntington told Kovacevic he hopes to work out a trade to keep the outfielder in the organization. As it is, Raynor will be placed on waivers, and any team that claims him will remain subject to the Rule 5 restriction of keeping him on the 25-man roster all season.
Raynor didn't have a chance to prove himself, with just 11 big league plate appearances. As Kovacevic says, he was a casualty of the Pirates' "epic pitching problems." Raynor, 26, hit .257/.327/.360 in Triple A last year. Baseball America noted that Raynor has the speed to play center but his arm may keep him in left.
So long Rayn Man, your time as a Pirate will not be forgotten!