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Pirates To Sign José Urquidy

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The Pirates and right-hander José Urquidy are in agreement on a contract, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. He’ll earn $1.5MM on a one-year deal, Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds. Urquidy, an Octagon client, can boost that salary further via incentives.

Pittsburgh generated headlines yesterday when they jumped in as a late entrant in the Framber Valdez bidding before he ultimately went to the Tigers last night. They’ll still add a former Astros hurler to reunite with new pitching coach Bill Murphy, though on a much smaller scale. Murphy coached Urquidy with Houston from 2021-24.

From 2021-22, Urquidy was an unheralded but quality member of the Houston rotation, starting 48 games and pitching to a solid 3.81 ERA with a 20.3% strikeout rate and a tiny 5.2% walk rate. Injuries began to slow him down in 2023. He missed three months with a shoulder injury that season, and his entire 2024 campaign was wiped out by an elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery over the summer. The 2025 season had been scheduled to be Urquidy’s final year of club control, so the Astros unsurprisingly cut him loose following the season.

Urquidy latched on with the Tigers on a one-year, $1MM contract that included a 2026 club option valued at $4MM. He returned from the injured list in September but pitched only 2 1/3 innings in the majors before consenting to be optioned. He pitched well in the minors last year (2.91 ERA, 22.2 K%, 6.2 BB% in 21 2/3 frames) but was hit hard in his small big league sample. The Tigers opted to decline their 2026 option and send Urquidy back to the open market.

With the injury troubles ostensibly behind him, Urquidy heads to the Pirates as an interesting buy-low candidate with some upside. Because he favors a changeup as his go-to offspeed pitch, he has substantial reverse splits in his career. Lefties have posted an awful .203/.257/.362 slash against him, whereas righties — with some help from the short left-field porch in Houston — have tagged him for a .267/.314/.468 batting line. Moving from one of the best environments for right-handed home runs to perhaps the worst in MLB will surely benefit his skill set.

Exactly what role the Pirates have in store for Urquidy, who turns 31 in May, remains to be seen. The Bucs are as deep as nearly any team in the sport when it comes to starting pitching but seem to add a low-cost veteran around this time of the offseason every year. In the past, that’s meant short-term pickups of Tyler Anderson, Jose Quintana, Martín Pérez and Andrew Heaney. Urquidy isn’t a lefty like that quartet but still seems to meet general manager Ben Cherington’s annual bargain starter quota.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes will, of course, be the Pirates’ Opening Day starter. He’ll be followed in some order by veteran Mitch Keller and young flamethrowers Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft, both of whom impressed as rookies in 2025. Urquidy will join a competition for the fifth spot that includes Carmen Mlodzinski, Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington and Jared Jones, who’ll be returning from 2024 Tommy John surgery. Mlodzinski fared better as a reliever than a starter last season, so this move could push him to the ’pen. If Urquidy is outshined by Jones, Barco or Harrington in camp, he could open the season in a swingman capacity.

Pirates Sign Mike Clevinger To Minor League Deal

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The Pirates announced that veteran right-hander Mike Clevinger will be in camp as a non-roster invitee. The ACES client signed a minor league deal this afternoon.

Clevinger spent most of the 2025 season in Triple-A with the White Sox. He had a decent year, allowing a 4.20 ERA with league average strikeout (21.9%) and walk (8.5%) marks. The 34-year-old had actually broken camp with Chicago in a bullpen role, but he was taken off the roster after giving up five runs with eight walks across his first 5 2/3 innings. He built back up as a starter in the minors but never got another look from the big league club.

That was the ninth season in which Clevinger logged some MLB action. He was an above-average starter for Cleveland early in his career. His stuff dropped off following a 2020 Tommy John surgery. Clevinger managed decent run prevention marks in 2022-23 but didn’t have anywhere near the same strikeout ability as he showed before the elbow injury. He was limited to four starts in 2024 by a neck injury that required surgery and hasn’t been much of a factor at the MLB level over the past two years.

Pittsburgh has plenty of upside in the rotation. They’ve subtracted from the depth behind Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller by trading away Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo for offensive help. Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft are entering their first full MLB seasons. With Jared Jones still recovering from last year’s UCL surgery, the fifth starter job would be up for grabs among Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington and Carmen Mlodzinski. Any Spring Training injuries would seriously test the depth.

It’s likely the Pirates still have at least one big league rotation pickup coming. They’ve even jumped into the mix on Framber Valdez, improbable as that kind of splash seems based on Pittsburgh’s usual spending habits. There are a number of mid-rotation or back-end arms still available if Valdez ends up elsewhere. A minor league deal for Clevinger shouldn’t have an impact on those pursuits. They’ll need a couple veteran arms at Triple-A Indianapolis to avoid pushing too many prospects as injuries necessitate during the season.

Pirates Join Bidding For Framber Valdez

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The Pirates have emerged as a surprise entrant in the Framber Valdez market, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who calls the Bucs “one of the most aggressive clubs” in their pursuit of the star left-hander. Valdez rejected a qualifying offer from the Astros at the start of the offseason and would cost the Pirates their third-highest selection in the 2026 draft if a deal were to come together.

It’s an unexpected development that seems illogical at first blush, given the team’s already enviable stock of starting pitching and need to bolster the lineup. But adding Valdez to the mix could make sense, as it’d allow Pittsburgh to further dip into its supply of up-and-coming rotation arms and leverage that depth to acquire another bat.

Trade targets have thinned out as the offseason has worn on, but the Pirates could always try to engage with the D-backs on Ketel Marte, the Red Sox on Jarren Duran (or Wilyer Abreu), or the Nationals on CJ Abrams, speculatively speaking. There are surely some other names who’d be available if the Pirates, depending on which young arms the Pirates were to make available. Paul Skenes, of course, is wholly off limits. General manager Ben Cherington plainly said as much just days into the offseason. But even beyond Skenes, the Pirates have Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler ticketed for big league innings. Jared Jones will be back from UCL surgery this season. Young arms like Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington and Wilber Dotel are on the 40-man roster and close to MLB-ready. Pittsburgh selected high school righty Seth Hernandez with the No. 6 overall pick in last summer’s draft. It’s a deep collection of starters.

Pairing Valdez with Skenes would give the Pirates one of the best one-two punches in the entire game. The 32-year-old lefty has been an iron man in Houston’s rotation in recent years. He’s pitched 767 2/3 innings of 3.21 ERA ball with a 23.9% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and gargantuan 60% ground-ball rate across the past four seasons. Among qualified starters, only Logan Webb has pitched more innings in that time. Andre Pallante, Clay Holmes and Jose Soriano are the only starters with better ground-ball rates in that same span, and Valdez’s ERA is tied with Seattle’s Bryan Woo for 18th.

Signing Valdez would very likely require the Pirates to put forth the largest contract in franchise history, but they’ve shown a willingness to do that already this winter, reportedly offering Kyle Schwarber $120-125MM over a four-year term. Valdez has been seeking a long-term deal, but the manner in which he’s lingered on the market is a good reminder of the paucity of such contracts for pitchers aged 32 and up. As can be seen in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, there are only three instances of a free agent pitcher 32 or older commanding a five-year deal over the past 15 offseasons: Blake Snell, Jacob deGrom and Zack Greinke. All were former Cy Young winners with even stronger cases than Valdez currently has.

The Pirates currently project for a $95MM payroll in the upcoming season, per RosterResource. That, somewhat remarkably, is only a few million shy of their franchise-record. However, the pursuit of Valdez and unsuccessful bids for Schwarber and slugger Eugenio Suárez demonstrate a clear willingness to push the budget to previously unseen levels.

There’s been speculation about Valdez acquiescing to a shorter-term deal with opt-outs, as we’ve seen from various high-end free agents both this winter and in recent offseasons. It’s not yet clear whether he’s amenable to such a structure, nor is it clear whether Pittsburgh is considering that type of offer or a more conventional multi-year deal to lock Valdez into place for the foreseeable future. The Orioles have been the team most prominently linked to Valdez throughout the winter, but the Blue Jays are still in the mix and he’s been at least loosely connected to the Braves, Giants, Mets and Red Sox in recent weeks.

MLBTR Podcast: Twins Front Office Shake-Up, The Brendan Donovan Trade, Eugenio Suarez, And More!

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

  • Examining MLB’s Parity Situation – Also, Bellinger, Peralta, Robert, And Gore – listen here
  • What The Tucker And Bichette Contracts Mean For Baseball – Also, Nolan Arenado And Ranger Suarez – listen here
  • The Cubs Land Cabrera And Bregman, Remaining Free Agents, And Skubal’s Arbitration Filing – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Joe Puetz, Imagn Images

Pirates Interested In Marcell Ozuna

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Having missed out on several higher-profile big bats, the Pirates are showing some interest in veteran designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, per Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic. There’s no indication anything is close to fruition at the moment, but it’s notable in that the Bucs are the first team prominently connected to Ozuna all winter.

Ozuna, who turned 35 in November, turned in a down showing by his standards in 2025 but was still a better-than-average offensive performer overall. He hit .232/.355/.400 with a career-high 15.9% walk rate, a 24.3% strikeout rate, 21 homers and 19 doubles in 592 turns at the plate with Atlanta in the final season of his six-year run there. Ozuna raced out to a scorching start in April and May, was one of the league’s worst hitters in June, and then settled in as a slightly above-average hitter for the season’s final three months.

While he’d be a clear upgrade to the team’s run-production capabilities, Ozuna isn’t exactly a clean fit in Pittsburgh. Beyond the fact that PNC Park is perhaps the worst environment in MLB for right-handed power, the Buccos’ roster isn’t well constructed to accommodate an everyday designated hitter. Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn are lined up to share time at first base and designated hitter. Horwitz, after a slow start to his season in 2025, finished the year out on a blistering .314/.402/.539 tear in his final two-plus months of play. He’s locked into an everyday role. O’Hearn can play in the outfield corners, but Bryan Reynolds has one of those two spots locked down.

Signing Ozuna would push O’Hearn into a primary outfield role. He’s graded out as a quality first baseman in recent seasons with Baltimore but has below-average grades in the outfield corners. Slotting O’Hearn into left field with any sort of regularity could also cut into playing time for fleet-footed Jake Mangum and serve as a roadblock for top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to push his way onto the big league roster; the Pirates acquired Garcia earlier this winter in the trade sending righty Johan Oviedo to Boston.

Of course, there’s an argument to be made that the perennially punchless Pirates ought to be willing to sacrifice some defense in the name of adding thump to the lineup. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff is the backbone of the roster, with Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft all boasting well above-average strikeout capabilities (and, in the case of Skenes and Ashcraft, plus ground-ball rates that slightly lessen concerns regarding a shakier outfield defense). The lineup, meanwhile, has been one of the weakest — if not the weakest — in Major League Baseball for more than a decade. The last time Pittsburgh fielded even an average offensive club by measure of wRC+ was back in 2014.

An outfield with O’Hearn in left, Oneil Cruz in center and Reynolds in right would be ugly from a defensive standpoint, but a lineup including Reynolds, O’Hearn, Horwitz, Ozuna, trade acquisition Brandon Lowe and, eventually, the top prospect in all of baseball (shortstop Konnor Griffin) would be more formidable than anything the Pirates have trotted out in recent seasons.

The elephant in the room is that it’d be difficult to fit both Ozuna and franchise icon Andrew McCutchen onto the same roster. Both are right-handed hitting outfielders who’ve moved primarily into DH status — Ozuna in particular. He didn’t play a single inning in the field in 2024 or 2025 and only logged 14 innings in 2023. McCutchen played only 16 games in the outfield last season. They’d hold similar roles on this version of the Pirates, but the Bucs would probably feel more confident in Ozuna’s abilities versus right-handed pitching after he hit .235/.347/.415 against righties to McCutchen’s .228/.326/.358.

When McCutchen returned to the Pirates three years ago, he signaled that his intent was to close out his career in Pittsburgh, where he still lives. The team clearly felt similarly, welcoming him back in each subsequent offseason. He’s signed a trio of one-year, $5MM contracts as he continues that full-circle final chapter of his career. But the 39-year-old McCutchen recently voiced some frustration with the manner in which talks have (or have not) progressed this winter. Ken Rosenthal and Stephen Nesbitt of The Athletic reported this week that McCutchen met personally with team owner Bob Nutting last Thursday.

[Related: Where Can The Pirates Turn For Another Bat?]

Whether it’s Ozuna, McCutchen or another target entirely, it seems clear that the Bucs are still intent on adding to the lineup despite various high-profile misses. They had interest in Josh Naylor before he re-signed with the Mariners and were reportedly willing to offer him upwards of $80MM. They put forth a reported $120-125MM offer to Kyle Schwarber, which would’ve been the largest contract in franchise history. The Pirates had interest in both Kazuma Okamoto and Eugenio Suárez before the pair signed in Toronto and Cincinnati, respectively. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Alex Stumpf of MLB.com both reported after the Suárez signing that the Pirates were willing to (or perhaps did) offer an extra year at the same annual value, but Suárez preferred to return to an organization he already knew — particularly given the Reds’ hitter-friendly park and last season’s playoff berth.

There’s still a week before pitchers and catchers report and about seven weeks until Opening Day. The Pirates’ $95MM projected payroll, per RosterResource, is up a bit from last year’s levels, but their pursuits of Suárez and especially Schwarber suggest a willingness to push things considerably higher. It’s likely they’ll add at least one more bat, but their options have dwindled considerably.

Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Most clubs have a slightly earlier report date this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Last year, the Cubs and Dodgers had earlier report dates because they were had an earlier Opening Day than everyone else as part of the Tokyo Series. Gavin Stone was the first player to land on the 60-day IL in 2025, landing there on February 11th. According to MLB.com, every club has a report date from February 10th to 13th this year.

It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until late May or beyond. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.

There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment. If a team wants to pass a player through waivers, perhaps they will try to do so in the near future before the extra roster flexibility opens up.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time or who have uncertain recovery timelines from 2025 injuries.

Angels: Anthony Rendon, Ben Joyce

Rendon’s situation is unique. He underwent hip surgery a year ago and missed the entire 2025 season. He is still on the roster and signed through 2026. He and the club have agreed to a salary-deferment plan and he is not expected to be in spring training with the club. His recovery timeline is unclear, but general manager Perry Minasian said earlier this month that Rendon would be “rehabbing at home,” per Alden González of ESPN. If they were going to release him, they likely would have done so by now, so he seems destined for the injured list.

Joyce underwent shoulder surgery in May and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. His current status is unclear. In August, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he didn’t know if he would be ready for spring training. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the Halos don’t expect him back before the end of May.

Astros: Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025. Wesneski was first, with his surgery taking place on May 23rd. Blanco followed shortly thereafter in early June. They will likely be targeting returns in the second half. Walter’s procedure was in September, meaning he will likely miss the entire season. All three should be on the 60-day IL as soon as Houston needs roster spots for other transactions.

Athletics: Zack Gelof

Gelof underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder in September, with the expectation of him potentially being healthy for spring training. At the end of December, general manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com that Gelof would be “a little bit behind” in spring. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the A’s think he’ll be out through late May.

Blue Jays: Jake Bloss

Bloss underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in May. He was on optional assignment at the time and stayed in the minors for the rest of the season. Going into 2026, the Jays could keep him in the minors but they could also call him up and place him on the major league IL. Doing so would open up a roster spot but would also mean giving Bloss big league pay and service time.

Braves: Ha-Seong Kim, AJ Smith-Shawver, Danny Young, Joe Jiménez

Kim recently fell on some ice and injured his hand. He underwent surgery last week, and the expected recovery time is four to five months. The shorter end of that window only goes to mid-May, so perhaps Atlanta will hold off on making a decision until they watch his recovery, especially since they have other guys with clearer injury timelines.

Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so he shouldn’t be back until the second half and is therefore a lock for the 60-day IL once Atlanta needs a spot. Young underwent the same procedure in May, so he should also be bound for the IL.

Jimenez is more of a question mark. He missed the 2025 season due to left knee surgery. He required a “cleanup” procedure on that knee towards the end of the season. His timeline isn’t currently clear.

Brewers: None.

Cardinals: None.

Cubs: Justin Steele

Steele will probably be a bit of a borderline case. He underwent UCL surgery in April but it wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery. The Cubs described it as a “revision repair”. Steele had undergone Tommy John in 2017 as a minor leaguer.

Since Steele’s more recent procedure was a bit less serious than a full Tommy John, the club gave an estimated return timeline of about one year, putting him in line to potentially return fairly early in 2026. Given his importance to the Cubs, they would only put him on the 60-day IL if his timeline changes and he’s certain to be out through late May.

Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear

The Snakes were hit hard by the injury bug in 2025. Burnes, Walston and Martínez all underwent Tommy John surgery. Burnes and Martínez had their procedures in June, so they should be targeting second-half returns and be easy calls for the 60-day IL. Walston would be a bit more borderline because his surgery was around Opening Day in late March last year. Puk had the slightly less significant internal brace procedure in June, so he could also be a borderline case.

Turning to the position players, Gurriel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in September. He required surgery which came with a return timeline of nine to ten months, so he should be out until around the All-Star break.

Locklear should be back sooner. He underwent surgery in October to address a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The hope at the time of that procedure was that he would be game ready to go on a rehab assignment around Opening Day and would therefore miss only about the first month. He would therefore only hit the 60-day IL if he doesn’t meet that timeline for some reason.

Dodgers: Brock Stewart

Stewart underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September. His timeline for 2026 isn’t especially clear. He will likely start the season on the IL but it’s unclear if he’ll be out long enough to warrant landing on the 60-day version.

Giants: Randy Rodríguez, Jason Foley

Rodríguez underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL and might even miss the entire 2026 campaign. Foley’s status is a bit more murky. He underwent shoulder surgery in May while with the Tigers. Detroit non-tendered him at season’s end, which allowed the Giants to sign him. He is expected back at some point mid-season. The Giants may want to get more clarity on his progress during camp before deciding on a move to the IL.

Guardians: Andrew Walters, David Fry

Neither of these guys is a lock for the 60-day IL. Walters had surgery to repair his right lat tendon in June with a recovery estimate of eight to ten months. Fry underwent surgery in October due to a deviated septum and a fractured nose suffered when a Tarik Skubal pitch hit him in the face. His timeline is unclear. It’s possible one or both could be healthy by Opening Day, so relevant updates may be forthcoming when camps open.

Mariners: Logan Evans

Evans required UCL surgery just last week and will miss the entire 2026 season. He was on optional assignment at the end of 2025, so the Mariners could keep him in the minors. Calling him up and putting him on the big league 60-day IL would open up a 40-man spot but would also involve Evans receiving big league pay and service time for the year.

Marlins: Ronny Henriquez

Henriquez underwent internal brace surgery in December and will miss the entire 2026 season, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL.

Mets: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and are likely to miss the entire 2026 season, making them locks for the 60-day IL. Núñez went under the knife in July, followed by Megill in September and Garrett in October.

Nationals: Trevor Williams, DJ Herz

Williams underwent internal brace surgery in July. That’s a slightly less serious variation of Tommy John but still usually requires about a year of recovery. Herz underwent a full Tommy John procedure in April. Since that surgery usually requires 14 months or longer to come back, both pitchers are likely out until around the All-Star break and therefore bound for the 60-day IL once the Nats need some roster spots.

Orioles: Félix Bautista

Bautista underwent shoulder surgery in August, and the club announced his recovery timeline as 12 months. He’s a lock for the 60-day IL and may miss the entire season if his recovery doesn’t go smoothly.

Padres: Yu Darvish, Jhony Brito, Jason Adam

Darvish underwent UCL surgery in November and will miss the entire 2026 season. Instead of going on the IL, he may just retire, but it seems there are some contractual complications to be ironed out since he is signed through 2028.

Brito and Adam could be borderline cases. Brito underwent internal brace surgery in May of last year. Some pitchers can return from that procedure in about a year. Adam ruptured a tendon in his left quad in early September. In November, he seemed to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. As of now, a trip to the 60-day IL seems unlikely unless he suffers a setback.

Pirates: Jared Jones

Jones required UCL surgery on May 21st of last year. The Bucs announced an expected return timeline of 10 to 12 months. The shorter end of that window would allow Jones to return fairly early in 2026. If it looks like he’ll be on the longer end of that time frame, he could wind up on the 60-day IL.

Phillies: Zack Wheeler

Wheeler underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in September, with a timeline of six to eight months. As of now, it seems unlikely Wheeler would require a trip to the 60-day IL, but it depends on how his ramp-up goes. He’s also approaching his 36th birthday, and the Phils could slow-play his recovery.

Rangers: Cody Bradford

Bradford required internal brace surgery in late June of last year. He recently said he’s targeting a return in May. That’s a pretty aggressive timeline, but perhaps the Rangers will delay moving him to the 60-day IL until that plan is strictly ruled out.

Rays: Manuel Rodríguez

Rodriguez underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of last year and is targeting a return in June of this year, so he should be a lock for the 60-day IL.

Reds: Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar

Both of these pitchers required Tommy John surgeries late in 2024, Williamson in September and Aguiar in October. They each missed the entire 2025 season. Presumably, they are recovered by now and could be healthy going into 2026, but there haven’t been any recent public updates.

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, Triston Casas

Houck is the most clear-cut case for Boston. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2025 and will miss most or perhaps all of the 2026 season. Casas is more borderline. He’s still recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in May of last year. It doesn’t seem like he will be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline apart from that is murky.

Rockies: Jeff Criswell, Kris Bryant

Criswell required Tommy John surgery in early March of last year. With the normal 14-month recovery timeline, he could be back in May. Anything slightly longer than that would make him a candidate for the 60-day IL. Bryant’s timeline is very difficult to discern. He has hardly played in recent years due to various injuries and is now dealing with chronic symptoms related to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Updates will likely be provided once camp opens.

Royals: Alec Marsh

Marsh missed 2025 due to shoulder problems and is slated to miss 2026 as well after undergoing labrum surgery in November.

Tigers: Jackson Jobe

Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He will miss most or perhaps even all of the 2026 season.

Twins: None.

White Sox: Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, Prelander Berroa

These three hurlers all required Tommy John surgery about a year ago, Bush in February, followed by Berroa and Thorpe in March. Given the normal 14-month recovery period, any of them could return early in 2026, but they could also end up on the 60-day IL if the timeline pushes slightly beyond that.

Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe

Schmidt is the only lock of this group. He required UCL surgery in July of last year and should miss the first half of the 2026 season. Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of last year. His target is expected to be late May/early June, so he has a decent chance to hit the 60-day. However, given his importance to the club, the Yankees probably won’t put him there until it’s certain he won’t be back by the middle of May.

Rodón had surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’s expected to be back with the big league club in late April or early May, so he would only hit the 60-day IL if his timeline is pushed. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October. He’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline beyond that doesn’t seem concrete.

Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images

The Pirates’ Rotation Options

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Pittsburgh has spent the majority of the offseason focused on hitting. For a club that finished dead last in scoring last season, the approach makes sense. The Pirates parted with a pair of young starters to acquire more bats. The team sent Mike Burrows to Houston in a three-way trade that netted them Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum. Pittsburgh moved Johan Oviedo to Boston for Jhostynxon Garcia. The deals have left them with a void to fill at the end of the rotation.

Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler, and  Mitch Keller are the locks. Braxton Ashcraft has a decent claim to the No. 4 spot. The young righty initially worked as a multi-inning reliever before transitioning to a starting role. Ashcraft either started or piggybacked with another starter in his final nine appearances. He allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one outing in that stretch.

Jared Jones would be the obvious choice to round out the group if he were healthy, but the right-hander underwent UCL surgery in May. He expressed optimism about his progression at PiratesFest this week. Jones told reporters, including Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that he’s worked up to two bullpens a week and has been mixing in offspeed pitches. Even with the encouraging results, Jones will be hard-pressed to be ready for Opening Day. The recovery timeline for the surgery is typically 10 to 12 months. Pittsburgh is likely to take it slow with its prized asset.

Here’s a look at the top candidates to open the season as Pittsburgh’s fifth starter. Given Chandler’s inexperience and Ashcraft’s limited workload, there could be an opportunity to remain in the rotation even after Jones’ return.

The Incumbent: Carmen Mlodzinski 

Of the current Pirates not named Skenes or Keller, Mlodzinski made the most starts last season. He tossed a career-high 99 innings between the rotation and the bullpen. Mlodzinski made nine starts to begin the year, but put up an ERA well over 5.00. He found himself at Triple-A Indianapolis by mid-May. The 26-year-old returned to the big-league club in June, operating primarily as a reliever. He chipped in a handful of spot starts down the stretch.

Mlodzinski has been a valuable member of the pitching staff since debuting in 2023. He’s compiled a 3.25 ERA across 109 games. The adjustment to starting just hasn’t suited him, at least not yet. Mlodzinski has a 4.47 ERA as a starter, compared to a 2.71 mark as a reliever. He would seem to have a deep enough arsenal to get through the order multiple times, as he threw five different pitches at least 10% of the time in 2025, but the results haven’t shown it. Opponents have hit just .214 against Mlodzinski the first time through the order. That number jumps to .381 the second time through the order. Mlodzinski is probably best used in a versatile role, instead of as a locked-in rotation piece.

The Rookies: Thomas Harrington and Hunter Barco

Pittsburgh’s second and third picks in the 2022 draft are on the verge of contributing with the big-league squad. Both Harrington and Barco made their debuts this past season, but only for a handful of appearances apiece. They have options remaining and are long shots to make the Opening Day roster, but they’d be the most intriguing choices.

Harrington had moved swiftly through Pittsburgh’s system until hitting a roadblock in 2025. After pitching decently at Triple-A to close the 2024 campaign, he struggled mightily at Indianapolis last year. Harrington stumbled to a 5.34 ERA with a middling 21.7% strikeout rate. After posting above-average strikeout numbers at previous stops, Harrington has failed to reach 22% in both stints at Triple-A. He was hammered for 15 earned runs over 8 2/3 innings in his brief MLB time.

Barco didn’t reach Triple-A until May. He kept his ERA under 4.00 with more than a strikeout per inning, though it came with a career-worst 13% walk rate. His swing-and-miss numbers have been much more impressive than Harrington’s, but the control has been a step behind recently. Barco tossed three scoreless innings with the Pirates at the tail end of the season. The fact that he succeeded in his cup of coffee and Harrington flopped might be enough to give him the edge on a roster spot. Barco would also give Pittsburgh a lefty in the rotation.

The Classic Pittsburgh Free Agent

Speaking of lefties, we’ve arrived at the most likely scenario. Pittsburgh has a penchant for relying on veteran southpaws to eat innings at the back of the rotation. As MLBTR’s Anthony Franco pointed out, Jose Quintana, Martín Pérez, and Tyler Anderson have all fit the bill in recent seasons. It was Andrew Heaney and trade acquisition Bailey Falter this past year.

General manager Ben Cherington has mentioned adding to the rotation. Quintana, Anderson, and Perez are still available. How about Patrick Corbin? After being one of the worst pitchers in the league in his final years in Washington, he had a resurgence of sorts in Texas last year. Corbin navigated his way to a sub-4.00 ERA through July. He was knocked around over the final two months of the season, but he put together a respectable first half. The 36-year-old Corbin could be the next soft-tossing lefty to find success at PNC Park.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images

Pirates Open To Re-Signing Andrew McCutchen

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January 25: McCutchen took to social media overnight to express his frustration with his unsigned status and the fact that he wasn’t in attendance at PiratesFest this weekend.

“I wonder, did the Cards do this [to] Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi? Dodgers to Kershaw? Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on,” McCutchen wrote. “If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player.”

It’s not the first time the veteran has alluded to his unsigned status and the narrative surrounding his future. In a post on January 19, McCutchen contended with the notion that he’s no longer a capable defender in the outfield, arguing that he simply hasn’t been asked to play the field and that the games he did play the field last year were at his own suggestion. While defensive metrics are hardly reliable in such a small sample size, he did rate out positively on defense across his seven games in the outfield last year according to Outs Above Average and has been worth +2 OAA overall since moving to a primary DH role with Milwaukee back in 2022.

January 24: After spending 12 of his 18 Major League seasons with the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen said back in August that he wanted to return for another season in the black-and-gold, while acknowledging that his shortcomings during the 2025 season.  “I have to do what I need to do to…show that I was able to have a good year and still can play the following year,” McCutchen said, noting that he didn’t want to be just “filling in a spot” and not contributing.

There hasn’t been any buzz about McCutchen’s market as he enters his age-39 season, with the assumption being that the Pirates are his only potential destination.  When asked about McCutchen during the PiratesFest fan event this weekend, Bucs GM Ben Cherington told fans and reporters (including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that the club is still has to assemble more of its roster before considering McCutchen’s role.

“Andrew has meant a ton to the team.  He’s had an incredible run at two different times.  Certainly his legacy as a Pirate is secure,” Cherington said.  “Everybody with the Pirates, it’s our desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future.  Then we come back to our team.  What is the job?  The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to win games when you’re at the ballpark in June and July….Our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in the past seasons.  That’s gonna continue to guide our decisions.

“So much respect for Andrew.  That relationship is really important to us. We’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together.  We have more work to do.”

McCutchen hit .239/.333/.367 with 13 homers over 551 plate appearances in 2025, translating to a 95 wRC+.  While it was just the second time in McCutchen’s stellar career that he dropped under the 100 wRC+ mark for league-average offense, most of his Statcast metrics were also average at best, apart from a very strong 12.2% walk rate.

These aren’t the numbers you want from a designated hitter in particular, and McCutchen is primarily a DH at this point in his career, with only 20 games played in the outfield during his 2023-25 return tenure in Pittsburgh.  To this end, the Pirates have seemingly already addressed the DH spot by signing Ryan O’Hearn, who may alternate with Spencer Horwitz between the first base and DH positions in the lineup.

O’Hearn can also play in the corner outfield, and since O’Hearn and Horwitz are both left-handed hitters, there would seemingly be some roster space for Cutch as a part-time righty bat who is perhaps limited to facing southpaw pitching.  As Cherington implied, however, the Pirates remain looking for ways to improve the team.  If that means choosing between McCutchen or a younger and more versatile position player, the second option might simply make more sense for the Pirates.

Improving the offense has been the club’s chief goal this winter.  Between O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Jake Mangum, the Bucs hope they’ve already both raised the ceiling and elevated the floor of their offensive potential, plus it would naturally help a ton if Bryan Reynolds or Oneil Cruz bounced back from disappointing 2025 campaigns.  As underwhelming as McCutchen’s 2025 numbers were, his 95 wRC+ still ranked fourth amongst all Pirates hitters last year, speaking to the lackluster state of Pittsburgh’s lineup.

If McCutchen was any other player, it probably wouldn’t even be a question that the Pirates would move from an aging DH-only bat.  However, cutting ties with a franchise icon doesn’t sound like something Cherington (or likely owner Bob Nutting) wants to do until it is absolutely necessary, or if Cutch makes the decision to retire on his own terms.  Part of the reason McCutchen returned to the Pirates prior to the 2023 season was his desire to be part of Pittsburgh’s next winning era, yet with seven straight losing seasons, the Bucs have yet to fully break out of their rebuild.

Breaking through to at least a winning record (and maybe a playoff berth) with McCutchen on the roster would be ideal for all parties.  McCutchen’s previous three one-year deals with the Pirates were signed earlier in the offseason than January 24, though of course there’s still plenty of time before Spring Training for a deal to be worked out between the two sides.

Details On The Mets’ Offseason Pursuits

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The Mets’ offseason has seen a bevy of major names both coming and going off the roster, and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman provides a nice breakdown of both the team’s moves and some of the behind-the-scenes plans (or backup plans) that went into these transactions.  Sherman’s piece also details some free agent and trade candidates who hadn’t been previously cited as Mets targets, including Ranger Suarez, Ryan Weathers, Johan Oviedo, and Pirates hurlers Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft.

New York’s trade for Freddy Peralta earlier this week helped the Mets finally secure the frontline rotation help they’d been seeking all winter, which helped because many of the other pitchers the team was exploring had already changed teams.  The Yankees acquired Weathers from the Marlins two weeks ago, the Red Sox landed Oviedo from the Pirates in early December, and Suarez signed with the Red Sox last week as well on a five-year, $130MM contract.

That type of long-term deal for a pitcher was thought to be outside of the Mets’ comfort zone, as multiple reports indicated that the team preferred shorter-term arrangements when trying to find rotation help.  The same was largely true of the Mets’ position-player pursuits, as the team offered Kyle Tucker four years and $220MM, and then landed Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126MM deal with two player opt-out clauses.  If Bichette hadn’t signed and Suarez had remained available, Sherman wrote that the Mets “would have pivoted to try to upgrade the rotation with a willingness to do the five years at $130 million Boston did.”

It’s an example of how the offseason can be a series of sliding doors, with a team’s priorities quickly changing when other teams start making moves and various star players leave the board.  Bichette himself wasn’t even known to be a Mets target until the eleventh hour, as missing out on Tucker led the Mets to quickly turn to Bichette and snatch him away from an almost-finalized agreement with the Phillies.  And, as it turned out, the Mets ended up landing their desired ace in inexpensive fashion in terms of money (Peralta is owed $8MM in 2026 before entering free agency next winter), but at the hefty trade cost of noted prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.

Prying Bichette away from the Phillies may have provided some measure of revenge for the Mets after their unsuccessful pursuit of Kyle Schwarber.  New York was known to have interest in Schwarber’s services, and Sherman noted that the Mets “were much deeper in on him than previously publicly known.”  It was widely expected that Schwarber would re-sign with the Phils and he indeed rejoined the club for five years and $150MM.  As interested as the Mets were, Sherman wrote that they “perceived they would have to beat [five years/$150MM] by a good deal to get him to leave Philadelphia,” so the Amazins backed off.

The Mets had plenty of talks with the Marlins about Edward Cabrera before Cabrera was dealt to the Cubs, so it isn’t surprising that Weathers’ name was also brought up in those discussions.  Sherman reported that 8-10 teams had interest in Weathers, and it ended up being the Yankees (another Cabrera suitor) who landed the southpaw for a four-prospect package.

It was no secret that the Pirates were looking to upgrade their lineup this offseason, and with a surplus of arms on the roster, the assumption was that Pittsburgh would look to move starting pitching for some bats.  The five-player deal that sent Oviedo to Boston brought back Jhostynxon Garcia as a young outfielder who can help the Bucs as early as 2026, and Mike Burrows was traded to the Astros as part of the three-team swap with the Rays that brought Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh.

With Oviedo and Burrows gone, the Pirates have probably closed the door on further pitching trades, as GM Ben Cherington has said the team would now be open to adding a bit of rotation depth, if anything.  Chandler (one of baseball’s top pitching prospects) and Ashcraft (a former second-round pick) each made their MLB debuts in 2025 and look to be part of the Pirates rotation both this season and for years to come, if everything pans out.

Sherman said the Mets “extensively” discussed Chandler, Ashcraft, and Oviedo in negotiations with the Pirates, and it would be fascinating to know the specifics of those talks.  Gauging by the Oviedo deal, the Bucs were presumably looking for controllable position-player talent, so any of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, or even top prospect Carson Benge might have been on the Pirates’ wish list.  If Pittsburgh had looked for more of a veteran bat in the Lowe mold, Jeff McNeil (who was dealt to the A’s just before Christmas) might have been a fit, but it is hard to imagine the Pirates would’ve given up a significant MLB-ready pitcher for McNeil.

Rich Hill Not Planning To Play In 2026

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Left-hander Rich Hill doesn’t want to use the word but it seems to be leaning towards retirement. Appearing on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, Hill was asked by host Rob Bradford if he was retiring and said “I don’t have any plans on playing next year.” The situation is somewhat analogous to that of Joe Kelly, who announced on the same podcast last month that he didn’t want to use the word “retire” but wasn’t planning on playing anymore.

“I’m looking for open possibilities to stay in the game of baseball and be a contributory factor,” Hill continued. “I enjoy the work aspect of whatever it might be that’s next. I think that’s one thing that… why athletes get hired in other positions and other… outside of sports is because they are highly-driven people that want to succeed. And that’s something that I’m looking forward to.”

It’s not shocking that Hill is slowly wafting into the next stage of his career. Though he did pitch in the 2025 season, he was easily the oldest player in the league. He was 45 years old when he suited up for the Royals and will turn 46 in March. Though he has continued pitching to an age when most other players have called it quits long ago, he did so with some unconventional approaches. He waited until midseason to sign in 2024 in a deliberate attempt to be more fresh for a stretch run.

If this is indeed the end, it will wrap up one of the more unique arcs of a player in recent history. Hill was drafted by the Cubs way back in 2002 and made his major league debut in 2005. He didn’t find immediate success but had a really good season in 2007, posting a 3.92 earned run average over 32 starts.

But from there, he went into a really challenging period of his career. He struggled with results and health for many years, leading him to be bounced between the majors and minors and between various different organizations. From 2008 to 2014, he tossed a total of 153 innings split between the Cubs, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, the Angels and Yankees. He posted a 5.41 ERA over that stretch.

2015 would turn out to be an incredible comeback season. He started the year on a minor league deal with the Nationals. He opted out of that contract in June and signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. He made just two starts for that club but struck out 21 opponents in 11 innings. That was enough to get him back into affiliated baseball via a minor league deal with the Red Sox.

Boston called him up in September and he made four starts as the season was winding down. In those, he logged 29 innings with a 1.55 ERA. He had a mammoth 34% strikeout rate, a tiny 4.7% walk rate and a strong 48.4% ground ball rate. That was a tiny sample size but the Athletics made a bet on it, signing Hill to a one-year, $6MM deal for 2016. That wager paid off handsomely, with Hill giving the A’s 14 starts with a 2.25 ERA.

At that year’s deadline, he was traded to the Dodgers alongside Josh Reddick, with the A’s getting Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes, and Jharel Cotton in return. Hill gave the Dodgers six starts with an ERA of 1.83 and then three postseason starts with a 3.46 ERA.

The Dodgers were happy enough with that showing to bring Hill back via a three-year, $48MM contract. That was a pretty staggering deal for a 37-year-old who was not too far removed from being in indy ball but it worked out well. He logged 327 innings over those three seasons with a 3.30 ERA, plus 37 postseason innings with a 2.43 ERA.

After that deal ran its course, Hill went into his 40s and mercenary mode. He signed a series of one-year deal with the Twins, Rays, Red Sox and Pirates. In 2023, he seemed to wear down as the season went along, not surprising for a 43-year-old. His 4.76 ERA with Pittsburgh was still respectable but he collapsed after a deadline deal to the Padres, posting an 8.23 ERA after the swap.

As mentioned, he then tried to think outside the box to continue as an effective big league pitcher. He planned to intentionally sign at midseason in 2024 in order to spend more time with his family and also save his bullets for the second half and postseason. He stayed unsigned until inking a minor league deal with the Red Sox in August. He did get called up but only for four relief appearances before being released. In 2025, he signed a minor league deal with the Royals in May. He got called up in July but was designated for assignment after just two starts.

Given the unusual shape of his career and his willingness to buck conventions, it’s possible he’ll change his mind and find his way back to the mound. But if Hill doesn’t make it back to the majors, he will finish with 1,418 innings tossed over 388 games for 14 different clubs. In that time, he posted a 4.02 ERA but will likely be best remembered for the 2015-2021 run which saw him post a 3.15 ERA in his late 30s and early 40s. Baseball Reference pegs his career earnings over $75MM, most of that coming to Hill in his late-career surge. We at MLB Trade Rumors salute him on a fine career, which may or may not be done, and wish him the best on whatever is next.

Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images

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