New Pirates Reliever Could Become Starter
The Pittsburgh Pirates seemingly took a step toward improving the bullpen by signing left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson.
The bullpen may not be where Ferguson ends up, though, after signing a one-year $3 million deal with Pittsburgh. MLB.com's Alex Stumpf reported that Ferguson could get some run as a starting pitcher and contend for the fifth starter in the Pirates' rotation.
"There's a possibility Ferguson could be a starter," Stumpf said on X. "The Pirates intend to stretch him out to potentially place him on a starter schedule in Spring Training."
Starting wouldn't be a completely foreign experience for Ferguson. Of his 87 appearances in the minor leagues in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, he made 53 starts. Since starting 10 games in 2018, Ferguson has primarily been a reliever in both the minor and major leagues.
Upon arriving in the big leagues in 2018, the lefty reliever has started in just 14 of his 263 games pitched. Ferguson's last start came on Sept. 26, 2023, with the Dodgers.
After spending the first six years of his MLB career with the Dodgers, Ferguson was traded to the New York Yankees before the 2024 season. Ferguson, 28, struggled in the Big Apple, going 1-3 with a 5.13 ERA across 42 appearances. In his 33.1 innings pitched, the left-handed reliever struck out 41 batters and walked 16.
Ferguson was traded to the Houston Astros on July 30 and he found more success, posting a 3.86 ERA in 20 appearances. He struck out 26 batters and walked nine across his 21 innings pitched for Houston.
The Pirates have a bigger need for a reliever as opposed to another starter. Along with the return of right-handed pitcher Johan Oviedo, Pittsburgh boasts a trio of top 100 right-handed pitching prospects in MLB Pipeline's rankings who could make their big league debut in 2025. Bubba Chander (15), Braxton Ashcraft (85) and Thomas Harrington (91) all reached Triple-A last season.
Chandler, Pittsburgh's top prospect, is the No. 2 ranked pitching prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline.
With the Pirates' bullpen having the fourth-highest ERA and being tied for the second-most blown leads last season, improving the bullpen was one of their most pressing needs, especially after left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman signed with the Boston Red Sox earlier in the offseason. Now, with Ferguson seemingly set to compete to become the No. 5 starter, that need likely remains regardless of how things shake out for the veteran left-hander.
