Pittsburgh Pirates News: Team Signs Veteran Pitcher

Sep 24, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Trevor Cahill (53) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the eleventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Trevor Cahill (53) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the eleventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Thursday night the Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran pitcher Trevor Cahill to a one-year deal to further bolster their pitching staff

Throughout the offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates needed starting pitching help. Earlier in the offseason they signed veteran lefty Tyler Anderson to bolster the starting rotation. Thursday night, the team may have further bolstered the rotation by signing veteran right-handed pitcher Trevor Cahill.

Cahill’s contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates is a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. He can also earn an additional $1 million in performance incentives. Like Anderson, Cahill pitched with the San Francisco Giants last season.

With the Giants last season Cahill posted a 3.24 ERA, 4.19 FIP, 1.08 HR/9, 13.2% walk rate and a 29.2% strikeout rate in 25 innings of pitched. These 25 innings came across 11 games, six of which were starts.

Cahill has not been a full-time starter since he was with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013. In his 12-year MLB career Cahill has pitched for the Diamondbacks, Oakland A’s, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, and his stint last season with the Giants. Now, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be his ninth MLB club.

In 1470.2 MLB innings Cahill has posted a 4.20 ERA and a 4.40 FIP in 352 games, 225 of which were starts. This season, Cahill could pitch in a few different roles with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He could be in the team’s starting rotation, or he could find himself in the bullpen.

dark. Next. David Bednar Turning Heads This Spring

If Cahill were to end up in the starting rotation, odds are, JT Brubaker would then be bumped to the bullpen or off the Opening Day roster. However, Cahill’s more likely home could be the bullpen. The Pirate bullpen does not have a long man, unless Wil Crowe makes the Opening Day roster, and Cahill could fill this role. Odds are, the Pirates will want Crowe to start the season at the alternate training site and then Triple-A Indianapolis to keep him stretched out as a starting options. This could play a role in Cahill landing a bullpen spot.