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All-Star Pitcher Named Solid Offseason Fit For Pirates
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- All-Star Pitcher Named Solid Offseason Fit For Pirates
(Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be looking for different ways to add to the roster this offseason, but everything for them will come down to how willing the front office is to spend.
As the Pirates look to add to the roster this offseason , there is a need for the team to bring in a left-handed starter to mix with the others in the rotation. Pittsburgh could use a southpaw to give the team a different look, and luckily for them, there are a few available in free agency.
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But again, the willingness to spend this offseason could determine what caliber of player Pittsburgh brings in. If the Pirates are open to spending a little money, there is one All-Star on the market who could make sense.
This would be left-hander Foster Griffin, who just split time this past season between the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Guardians. Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes that Griffin could be a solid fit for the Pirates this offseason.
Griffin's 2026 season was a little up-and-down, with the left-hander putting together an All-Star campaign with the Nationals. Before being traded to Cleveland, Griffin posted a 3.06 ERA over 22 starts, throwing 129.1 innings of work.
After pitching in Japan the previous few seasons, Griffin showcased that he was indeed a big league pitcher. Washington was interested in extending him, but the sides couldn't come together, so they traded him to the Guardians.
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Once he got to Cleveland, Griffin's performance dipped, with the southpaw posting a 5.19 ERA over nine starts, throwing 43.1 innings. Griffin did perform better in the playoffs for the Guardians, making three appearances (one start) and registering a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings.
While the year was a little shaky at the end, Griffin could still be a solid add for the Pirates, especially as a back-end starter. With the Pirates having multiple quality arms at the top of the rotation, Griffin wouldn't be relied upon as a top guy.
This could allow him to play more freely, potentially getting back to his All-Star form with Pittsburgh. The Pirates, like the Guardians, have done well at developing pitchers, and Griffin could be a strong bounce-back candidate for the 2027 season.
The left-hander may be looking for a two-or-three-year deal, with the Pirates likely open to that idea. Overall, if the price isn't too high, adding in a player like Griffin could make a lot of sense for Pittsburgh to improve its depth.
