World Series star Michael Morse designated by Pirates (Yahoo Sports)

Michael Morse was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, less than two years after he drove in the winning run for the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series. The Pirates dropped Morse, who was 0 for 8 in six games, to open a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander AJ Schugel, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis. The Dodgers are paying $2.93 million of Morse's $8-million salary as part of the trade that sent him from Los Angeles to the Pirates last July 31.