The Pirates are making a bold move in the baseball world, entering the race for Framber Valdez, a star left-handed pitcher. But wait, isn't their starting rotation already impressive? How does this pursuit make sense?
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Pirates are aggressively pursuing Valdez, despite already having a solid pitching lineup. This move might seem counterintuitive, but there's a strategy behind it. By signing Valdez, the Pirates could trade some of their up-and-coming pitchers to strengthen their batting lineup, which is a much-needed upgrade.
While trade options have become limited as the offseason progresses, the Pirates could explore potential trades with other teams. For instance, they could approach the D-backs for Ketel Marte, the Red Sox for Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, or even the Nationals for CJ Abrams. These moves would depend on which young pitchers the Pirates are willing to part with, except for Paul Skenes, who is off the trading table, as confirmed by General Manager Ben Cherington.
The Pirates have a deep pool of talented young pitchers, including Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, and Jared Jones, who is set to return from UCL surgery. Additionally, Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington, and Wilber Dotel are on the 40-man roster and almost ready for the MLB. The team also drafted high school right-hander Seth Hernandez with the 6th overall pick last summer, further bolstering their starting rotation.
Pairing Valdez with Skenes would create a formidable duo, as Valdez has been a consistent performer in Houston's rotation. Over the past four seasons, he's pitched an impressive 767 2/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA, a 23.9% strikeout rate, and a remarkable 60% ground-ball rate. These numbers place him among the top starters in the league, rivaling the likes of Logan Webb, Andre Pallante, Clay Holmes, and Jose Soriano.
However, signing Valdez won't come cheap. The Pirates would likely need to offer the largest contract in their franchise's history, similar to their reported offer to Kyle Schwarber. Valdez is seeking a long-term deal, but the market for pitchers aged 32 and above has been challenging, with only three instances of five-year deals in the last 15 offseasons, and those were for former Cy Young winners.
The Pirates' projected payroll for the upcoming season is $95 million, close to their franchise record. Their pursuit of Valdez and unsuccessful bids for Schwarber and Eugenio Suárez indicate a new financial ambition. But here's where it gets controversial: there's speculation that Valdez might accept a shorter-term deal with opt-outs, a strategy seen with other high-end free agents. Whether Valdez is open to this or the Pirates prefer a traditional long-term deal remains unclear.
The Orioles have been the most talked-about suitor for Valdez, but the Blue Jays are still in the running, and he's been linked to the Braves, Giants, Mets, and Red Sox recently. This free agency saga has baseball fans on the edge of their seats, wondering where Valdez will land. What do you think? Is this a smart move by the Pirates, or should they focus on other areas of their roster?
