PITTSBURGH -- General manager Neal Huntington continues to tweak the 40-man roster, with his latest move coming on Tuesday, when he announced that the Pirates had added right-handed starter Luis Munoz.

Munoz is coming off a strong season during which he proved to be one of the organization's biggest bragging points. Among full-season pitchers in the Pirates' farm system last year, Munoz led all pitchers in wins (14) and ERA (3.57). He also finished third in strikeouts, with 105 in 153 2/3 innings, and allowed just 36 walks during that span.

The 2007 season marked the seventh year that the 25-year-old pitcher has been in the Pirates' system. He had been signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2000, and following two seasons in the Dominican League, he has consistently impressed as he has slowly made his way through the Minor League rungs.

Munoz spent most of this past year starting for Double-A Altoona before making the jump to Triple-A for the first time in his career. Three of his 26 starts in 2007 came for the Indians, for whom he finished 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA.

Munoz is currently in his home country, playing winter ball in the Dominican League. He has made one start so far, pitching four innings while allowing one earned run on three hits.

In order to make room for Munoz on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated Josh Shortslef for assignment. The left-hander struggled last season starting for Altoona, finishing with a 5-13 record and 4.40 ERA in 27 games for the Curve. Though Shortslef, a sixth-round selection by the Pirates in 2000, spent the entire season on the team's 40-man roster, he never earned an invitation to the big leagues.