3 free agents coming off injury-plagued seasons the Pirates should sign

Major League Baseball players are very susceptible to injuries. After all, they are professional athletes who push human bodies to their limits. But these injuries can take a player out for weeks, months, or sometimes even entire seasons. There are certainly a handful of current free agents who are coming off of seasons where they missed a large chunk of time because of injuries, but the Pirates are in no position to let that dissuade them

The Pirates need to start getting active, making choices, and adding talent to improve the major league roster. They also shouldn't shy away from some of these free agents, who, while they missed a good chunk of time in 2024, are still decent players and could help improve the Pirates' MLB roster.

3 injured free agents who'd improve Pirates' 2025 roster

Spencer Turnbull

Spencer Turnbull looked like he was on his way to having a phenomenal 2024 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies. But at the end of June, Turnbull was diagnosed with a lat strain that was expected to take six to eight weeks to recover from. Ultimately, he never returned to the mound for the Phils.

But when Turnbull was healthy, he was great. He worked as a starter and reliever for the Phillies, starting seven games, making 10 bullpen appearances, and pitching 54.1 innings. Throughout those frames, Turnbull owned a 2.65 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and 1.05 WHIP. Along with a robust bottom line, Turnbull had some quality peripherals.

Turnbull struck out 26.1% of the opponents he faced with a respectable 9% walk rate and 0.99 HR/9. He also was better than your average pitcher at limiting hard contact. The right-hander held opposing hitters to an 87.8 MPH exit velocity (76th percentile), as well as a 7.2% barrel rate (61st percentile).

The only red flag in Turnbull's numbers was his luck. His .233 batting average on balls in play is significantly lower than his career average of .300. However, even with good luck playing a factor, most statistics still view him as an effective arm. xFIP put him at 3.80, while SIERA pinned him at 3.67.

There's no question about Turnbull's ability. Stuff+ had him at 112 last season. If Turnbull returned to that level next year, he'd be quite a good pickup for the Pirates. He can start games and pitch multiple innings out of the bullpen. The Pirates definitely should not turn down an arm with that sort of utility. MLB Trade Rumors currently has Turnbull signing a one-year deal at $7 million, which falls neatly into Pittsburgh's price range.