All-Star Lefty Starter Pirates Should Consider in Free Agency
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LAS VEGAS — The Pittsburgh Pirates have a solid pitching staff, but one that needs additions to make it even better for 2027.
The General Managers' Meetings just wrapped up at the ARIA Resort and Casino, with Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and front office members of the other 29 MLB teams coming together to start making big moves ahead of the Dec. 1 lockout.
One big report from the GM Meetings was that the Pirates are interested in adding left-handed pitching to help balance out their pitching staff.
A free agent southpaw who fills that void for the Pirates is starter Robbie Ray, who could give them a new profile for next season.
Why Robbie Ray Makes Sense for the Pirates
Other than the obvious need for a left-handed pitcher, particularly one who can start, Ray has been one of the better pitchers in baseball since his debut in 2014.
Ray has posted seven seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA, including the past two seasons, and has regularly been a consistent 30-plus starter in his career.
He is a two-time All-Star in both 2017 and 2025, while also winning the American League Cy Young Award in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays, leading the AL with a 2.84 ERA and MLB with 248 strikeouts.
Ray has put up back-to-back strong seasons in 2025 and 2026, a 24-16 record over 62 starts, a 3.62 ERA over 348.0 innings pitched, a 1.28 WHIP and an 8.4 K/9.
He did all of this after coming from Tommy John Surgery, which held him to just eight combined starts over the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.
Ray has given up few home runs in his career, and his 44 home runs over the past two seasons were the 20th-fewest among qualified pitchers.
PNC Park is a pitcher-friendly ballpark, and he would benefit from pitching there in 2027.
Ray made big improvements with his off-speed pitches, changeup and curveball, going from -1 and -8 run value, respectively, in 2025 to +5 and +7 in run value, respectively, per Statcast.
The Pirates' entire starting rotation in 2026 was right-handed: Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler, along with Carmen Mlodzinski the first two months of the season.
Pittsburgh previously went with a free agent left-handed starting pitcher in recent years, most recently Andrew Heaney in 2025, and Ray could fit that role and give the team some versatility.
Would Pirates Sign Ray?
While Ray fills much of what the Pirates need for next season, there are still some concerns about him.
Ray struggled with the San Diego Padres after the San Francisco Giants traded him there at the deadline.
He posted a 5.02 ERA over nine starts and 43 innings, averaging less than five innings per outing, and posting 33 strikeouts to 27 walks.
Ray is 35 and has lost some velocity in his pitches, going down from 94.8 mph to 93.1 mph on his four-seam fastball and from 88.6 mph to 86.1 mph, both from 2021 to 2026.
The Pirates would also have to see if they could sign him, which would work on a short-term deal, one or two years.
Something within the $10-$15 million AAV range, or just one year, would make the most sense for the Pirates if they're willing to add to their payroll.
The question for the Pirates is where they see Ray and if he would join their rotation, which is already full, unless they go to a six-man rotation.
Pittsburgh could always use starting pitching depth, so Ray fits that role and also their need for left-handed pitching overall.
I wouldn't be too shocked to see the Pirates go after Ray, so there's definitely a chance he ends up in black and gold next season.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.