Pirates Could Pursue This Free Agent Left-Handed Pitcher
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have looked for left-handed starting pitching this offseason, but one name that hasn't come up would fill that role.
Patrick Corbin is still a free agent and gives the Pirates what they need, a southpaw that brings veteran experience to a relatively young pitching staff, that is already one of the best in the major leagues.
The Pirates have already made some big-time moves this offseason, mostly for their lineup, but bolstering their pitching group would surely help with their goal of making the postseason.
Some people may have trepidation towards signing Corbin, but with few options remaining in terms of left-handed free agents, he remains one of the better ones out there.
Why the Pirates Might Want to Sign Corbin
Pittsburgh has already looked at reunions with former southpaws in Tyler Anderson and José Quintana, who ended up signing with the Colorado Rockies. Anderson is still a free agent as well, so there's reason Corbin could work for the Pirates as welll.
Corbin is a 14-year veteran and has thrown more than 2,000 innings in his career, a great difference from any of the pitchers the Pirates have currently.
He is a pitcher that would go deep into outings, taking on a heavier work load while the younger arms have innings limits.
Corbin still showed that longevity in games last season, with two eight innings outings, a seven inning outing, two six inning outings and 15 others starts that he pitched at least five innings.
The Pirates, while having a great rotation, are almost entirely right-handed with the likes of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler and José Urquidy.
Having Corbin in the rotation would not have the Pirates so susceptible to dominant left-handed hitting lineups and also give a veteran voice in a room of pitchers looking to improve each start.
Corbin also has postseason experience, pitching in eight games and starting three for the Washington Nationals in their run to the 2019 World Series and throwing three scoreless innings in the crucial Game 7 win over the Houston Astros.
The Pirates, who haven't made the playoffs since 2015, wouldn't mind having an arm they can rely on in tough moments.
Corbin should also not come as that expensive of a signing for Pirates. It won't be as cheap as Urquidy for $1.5 million, but $5.5 million, his Spotrac Market Value, isn't that bad a of deal itself, as they paid a similar deal to left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney last season.
What the Pirates Would Get in Corbin
Corbin has pitched in the major leagues the past 14 seasons since 2012 and has been a consistent contributor to the teams he's played for.
Stat | Total |
|---|---|
Win-Loss (Starts) | 110-142 (354) |
ERA (Innings Pitched) | 4.51 (2,047.2) |
Strikeouts/Walks (K/BB) | 1,860/640 (2.91) |
BAA/WHIP | .272/1.37 |
He had a decent season for the Texas Rangers last season after struggling the previous five seasons following the World Series win, with a 4.40 ERA over 155.1 innings and 30 starts.
Corbin has stayed relatively injury-free the past few seasons, with at least 30 starts in every season since 2017, excluding the 60-game season in 2020, where he still started 11 games.
Keller, who has had a similar role for the Pirates, had a 4.23 ERA and has also been a consistent 30-starts a season pitcher.
He has a vast pitch mix, but regularly uses his slider (33.5%), sinker (28.9%) and cutter (25.0%), while also employing a changeup (9.4%) a four-seam fastball (2.7%) and rarely a curveball (0.6%).
His cutter was his best pitch, according to Statcast, who gave him a plus-six run value and he had a plus-five run fastball value last season.
Corbin keeps a low velocity, 91.6 mph on the sinker, 87.5 mph on the cutter and 91.2 mph on the four-seam fastball, relying more on a vast pitch mix with his slider to catch hitters out.
He's not quite the dominant pitcher he once was, but still posts around 130+ strikeouts per season, 7.59 K/9 in 2025, and keeps his walks down as well, 2.95 BB/9 in 2025.
If Corbin can have a solid season in 2026, that would serve as an important addition for the Pirates, who are still figuring out their starting rotation at this point in Spring Training.
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.