Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Pittsburgh Pirates are showing interest and making offers on a number of free agent relievers. Rosenthal mentions that the team made an offer to J.J. Putz, who recently signed a two year, $10 M deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also mentions that they’re looking at guys like Kevin Gregg, who they looked at last year before signing Octavio Dotel. Putz was also a guy they looked at last year.
We heard yesterday that the Pirates were strongly pursuing Jeremy Accardo. It seems that they’re looking to add to their back of the bullpen options, which could open them up to a trade involving Joel Hanrahan or Evan Meek. Hanrahan and Meek are both high in value right now. The Pirates have said they’re not shopping either player, but would deal one if the right offer came along, preferably for a young starter.
UPDATE 3:08 PM: MLBTR reports that the Pirates showed lukewarm interest in Japanese reliever Hiroyuki Kobayashi, only on a minor league deal. Kobayashi, 32, posted a 2.21 ERA, 7.82 K/9, 2.07 BB/9, and 0.30 HR/9 in 61 innings this year in Japan. He has also started in the past.
UPDATE 4:53 PM: Ken Rosenthal tweets that the Pirates, Red Sox, and Nationals have made offers to Gregg, and that there is strong multi-year interest in the free agent right hander. Rosenthal mentions that the Orioles and Mariners are also in the mix.
UPDATE 5:40 PM: MLBTR reports that the Pirates have also inquired on Aaron Heilman as a reliever. In his career as a reliever, Heilman has a 3.77 ERA in 461 innings, along with an 8.0 K/9 and a 3.5 BB/9 ratio. He has constantly been unsatisfied with the bullpen role, wanting to move back to the rotation at almost every stop he’s made. His numbers as a starter, from the early part of his career, are a 5.93 ERA in 133.2 innings, with a 7.1 K/9 and a 4.4 BB/9.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
