The Pirates yesterday announced they have outrighted four right-handed pitchers to Class AAA Indianapolis, including John Van Benschoten, their top draft pick in 2001.

Yoslan Herrera, Marino Salas and Ronald Belisario joined Van Benschoten in being trimmed from the Pirates' 40-man roster.

All four could have been claimed on waivers by other teams but weren't.

Each of the four except for Herrera, who has another year on his contract, has the option of becoming a minor league free agent and signing with another organization.

Van Benschoten, 28, might lean in that direction, figuring he would get a fresh start someplace else.

In each of the past two seasons, he split time between Indianapolis and the Pirates and was unable to transfer solid minor league performances into success at the major league level.

Van Benschoten, 0-7 with a 10.15 ERA in 11 games for the Pirates in 2007, this season was 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 22 games -- 13 of them starts -- for Indianapolis. But in nine appearances, including five starts, with the Pirates, he was 1-3 (10.48).

In 26 big league games, including 19 starts, Van Benschoten is 2-13 with a 9.20 ERA. In 90 innings, he has yielded 125 hits and 68 walks.

"His stuff is better than his performance," general manager Neal Huntington said. "It has not translated to the major leagues -- for whatever reason.

"We put him in the bullpen hoping he'd become more aggressive and let his stuff play up. It didn't happen. The talent is still in there, but he wasn't able to reach it before we got here [in 2007] or this year."

Of the four, only Belisario, 25, signed as a minor league free agent after the 2006 season, did not spend time with the Pirates in 2008. He was 4-4 with a 4.74 ERA in 38 relief appearances for Class AA Altoona.

Like Van Benschoten, Herrera and Salas, both 27, also couldn't bring minor league success to the big leagues.

Herrera made 22 minor league starts this season, including one for Indianapolis. In his 21 starts for Altoona, he was 6-9 with a 3.46 ERA. However, in five starts for the Pirates, he had a 9.82 ERA and allowed 35 hits and 12 walks in just 181/3 innings. He did get his first big league win, beating San Diego July 24.

Salas was 4-4 (3.47) in 40 relief appearances for Indianapolis. But in four stints with the Pirates -- encompassing 13 games -- he allowed 25 hits and 11 walks in 17 innings and had an 8.47 ERA.

"In looking at our roster as we go forward and the overall status of the Pirates in 2009 and 2010 and beyond and where they fit in the big picture, we felt these were the right four [to be outrighted]," Huntington said. "It's time to give other guys opportunities to be on the 40-man roster."

Yesterday's moves leave the Pirates with 36 players. By Nov. 20, they must reinstate left-handers Tom Gorzelanny (finger) and Phil Dumatrait (shoulder) from the 60-day disabled list to the 40-man roster.