PITTSBURGH — The Philadelphia Phillies picked up reliever Juan Nicasio from the Pittsburgh Pirates after the Pirates opted to put Nicasio on outright waivers rather than let him go to what general manager Neal Huntington called a “direct competitor.”

Nicasio is 2-5 with a 2.65 ERA in a team-high 65 appearances with Pittsburgh this season. The 31-year-old Nicasio will become a free agent at the end of the season.

Huntington said Pittsburgh initially requested trade waivers for Nicasio, who was then claimed by what Huntington termed a “playoff caliber club.” Huntington said the unnamed club indicated its goal was to block the Pirates from sending Nicasio elsewhere. Huntington added the unnamed team promised to only send “marginal value” in return for Nicasio.

At that point, the Pirates opted to put Nicasio on outright waivers, where he was claimed by last-place Philadelphia.