Pittsburgh Pirates: Post-Work Stoppage Free Agent Starting Pitching Targets

Zach Davies

Right-handed pitcher Zach Davies is entering his age-29 season, which will be his 8th MLB season. Of these 8 MLB seasons, 7 have been spent in the National League Central. The lone season he pitched outside of the division was the COVID shortened 2020 season when he was a San Diego Padre.

Davies spent the first five seasons of his MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers. He then spent the 2021 season pitching for the Chicago Cubs. Overall, he has pitched 831.2 innings in 155 MLB appearances, all of which have been starts.

While Davies posted a 5.78 ERA and a 5.45 FIP last season, to his credit, he took the ball every five days for the Cubs. He made 32 starts and pitched 148 innings. His biggest undoing was the home run ball as he allowed home runs at a career worst rate of 1.52 HR/9. His 11.2% walk rate was also a career high, but considering he entered the season with a career walk rate of just 6.9%, odds are, that 11.2% will prove to be an anomaly.

In his career Davies owns a 4.14 ERA, 4.41 FIP, 17.3% strikeout rate and a new career walk rate of 7.8%. Coming off the worst season of his career Davies may look for a one-year deal to rebuild value. The Pittsburgh Pirates would be more than capable of inking Davies to a $5-7 million deal for 2022, which could get the job done. Even if Davies would want a two-year deal that could be a worthwhile gamble for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If nothing else, he can help bridge the gap to the arrival of pitching prospects.

Brett Anderson

Veteran lefty Brett Anderson could provide the Pittsburgh Pirates with extra depth in their starting rotation. He is also someone who could help eat innings in 2022 in an effort to help avoiding over-taxing younger arms.

Anderson made 24 starts for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, pitching 96 innings. He posted a quality 4.22 ERA and 4.39 FIP, to go with a home run rate of just 1.03 HR/9. While Anderson struck out just 14.2% of batters faced, he continued to demonstrate strong control walking just 6.8% of opposing batters.

In his career Anderson has pitched 1140.1 innings in 222 games (210 starts). His lifetime ERA is 4.07, to go with a 3.97 FIP, 6.3% walk rate, and a 16.0% strikeout rate. Anderson has quietly been a quality middle-to-back of the rotation lefty for over a decade.

The 13-year MLB veteran will be 34-years-old on Opening Day. While his best days are undoubtedly behind him, Anderson can still be a quality MLB pitcher capable of helping a team win games. He could also be a quality veteran mind for the young Pirate arms to pick, and he could also become a quality trade chip for the Bucs in July.

Odds are the veteran would settle for a one-year deal on the free agent market. This is likely what the Pittsburgh Pirates will be looking to issue as they attempt to continue to bolster their starting rotation for 2022. When the work stoppage ends Anderson’s name is certainly one that Pirate fans could hear connected to their club.

Matthew Boyd

This one is a bit different than the others on the list. That is because this pitcher, if added, could be about 2023 as much as it is 2022.

Former Detroit Tiger pitcher Matthew Boyd is a name we have discussed in the past. The former highly-touted prospect who was once the key piece in the trade that sent David Price from the Tigers to the Toronto Blue Jays was non-tendered by Detroit before MLB’s work stoppage began.

The reason the Tigers cut ties with Boyd was due to injury. After undergoing flexor tendon surgery in September, Boyd’s status for 2022 remains up in the air.

Prior to getting injured Boyd was putting together the best season of his MLB career. He pitched 78.2 innings in 15 starts, posting a 3.89 ERA and a 4.10 FIP. Both of these were new career bests for the 30-year-old lefty.

Boyd walked a career low 6.8% of batters faced in these 15 starts. Although, his 19.9% strikeout rate was his lowest since 2018. He limited opposing batters to a .251 batting average, which was more than 20 points lower than 2020, and he allowed just 9 home runs giving him a career low 1.03 HR/9.

If Boyd is healthy he could be a steal in free agency. However, he could also be a huge gamble. He will turn 31 next month and is coming off of major surgery. That said, offering Boyd a two-year contract that is incentive heavy could entice Boyd to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates with the potential to aide to the Pirate starting rotation in both 2022 and 2023.