Pirela was released by the Phillies on Friday in order to sign with a team in Japan, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Pirela got into just 14 games last season with the Padres and Phillies. He'll turn 30 later this month and owns a career wRC+ of 88, so he was unlikely to make a significant impact if he attempted to stick around in the big leagues.