An Early Look Into The Pirates Starting Pitching Options This Winter

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next

Jake Odorizzi

Jake Odorizzi has been good in his 8-year career with the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins. He boasts a lifetime 3.90 ERA with a 8.5 SO/9. It seems as he has reached another level in his past 2 seasons with the Twins, posting a 2.8 WAR. He strikes out about 16% more batters than he walks while allowing them a .233 BA against. Odorizzi is coming off his best season to date after his first All-Star appearance.

Odorizzi probably isn’t the type of guy the Pirates sign, but it is very possible. He may command a little more money than they like to spend, but signing a pitcher like this immediately improves the rotation. With guys like Francisco Cervelli, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Melky Cabrera coming off of the books, it frees up more money for them to use. Neal Huntington has a philosophy, and that is to spend as little as you possibly can on as many guys as you can. He doesn’t believe in spending big on free agents, more or less what you have seen last off-season with Chisnehall, Cabrera, and Lyles. Odorizzi wouldn’t come as cheap as those guys, but I wouldn’t go as far as saying that it can’t be done.