3 pitching prospects the Pirates must prioritize trading this winter

If the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t going to be aggressive spenders in the free agent market, then they need to make some bold moves on the trade front. They executed only one major trade last offseason, acquiring Spencer Horwitz for Luis Ortiz, capitalizing on two pitching prospects in the process.

So far, that deal has worked out spectacularly.

With all the pitching the Pirates have in their system, they could go out and get anyone available this winter. If the Pirates decide to shop some of their young pitching, they must use these three hurlers in talks. All three are trending in the right direction, and not prioritizing them in discussions would be a waste.

3 Pirates prospects the team must prioritize trading this winter

Hunter Barco

Hunter Barco established himself as one of the Pirates’ best pitching prospects in 2025. Not only did he get off to a scorching hot start, pitching 26.1 scoreless innings to open the year, but he finished out the 2025 campaign in the Major Leagues. If there’s one pitching prospect the Pirates should consider moving, it has to be Barco.

Barco tossed a total of 99.1 innings between Double-A Altoona and Triple-A Indy. He had just a 2.81 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and 1.20 WHIP. The southpaw got his fair share of Ks, with a 27.8% K% and an outstanding 0.45 HR/9 ratio. He struggled the most with free passes, having an 11.8% free pass rate, and experienced a significant learning curve when moving from Double-A to Triple-A, where they use the automated ball-strike system. Barco pitched just three innings in his brief late-season MLB cameo, but they were three scoreless frames with a trio of Ks.

Throughout his minor league season, Barco primarily used four different pitches. His 93-94 MPH sinker was his primary pitch, utilizing it over 50% of the time at Indianapolis. Barco’s low-80s slider was his most-used breaking offering, with which he induced a near 40% whiff rate (38.7%, to be exact). Then there was his splitter, another offering he got plenty of swings and misses with, coming in with an impressive 41.5% whiff rate. Lastly, Barco used a mid-80s cutter from time to time.

The Pirates are going to need to make a decision with Barco soon. He’s already 24, and they can’t stash him at Triple-A for most of next season. Now is the time to either give him regular playing time in the Major Leagues or trade him. Barco has the potential to be a solid pitcher for the Bucs next season, but he could also net them the bat they desperately need.

Wilber Dotel

The Pirates signed Wilber Dotel during the 2020-2021 offseason. While he occasionally flashed potential throughout the low levels of the minor leagues, he struggled to get strikeouts and limit walks. After a middling year at High-A in 2024, the Pirates tested Dotel at Double-A Altoona, and it resulted in by far his best season yet.

Dotel pitched 125.2 innings, working to a 4.15 ERA, but a 3.89 FIP and 1.23 WHIP that indicated better things were to come. Dotel struck out nearly a quarter of opponents with a 24.5% K%, and only walked 8% of batters faced. For reference, he had just a 20.8% K% and 11% BB% in 2024. His home run rate also dramatically improved from 1.78 last season to 1.00 this year.

Aside from his solid performance this year, Dotel has a high and still untapped ceiling. He utilizes four different pitches, including both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, a slider, and a changeup. Dotel saw a massive uptick in velocity in 2024 and can hit triple-digits. His two-seamer comes in closer to the low-90s and is the pitch he gets ground balls on most often. Dotel’s upper-80s changeup is another above-average offering. He has also improved his slider, upping its velocity to the upper 80s as well.

Dotel is now among the Pirates’ top 15 prospects, coming in at No. 13 on Baseball America’s top 30 Pirates prospect list. That’s a massive step forward from the 25th spot, where he was ranked when the season began. Dotel is trending upwards, and fast, especially after he established that he can handle himself at Double-A. His value is the highest it has ever been since he entered pro ball. Not utilizing him in trade talks would be a waste.

Khristian Curtis

Khristian Curtis’ season was truly only marred by one bad month, that being the very first month of the season. In his first five starts, Curtis allowed 17 earned runs in 13.1 innings, surrendering 23 hits, 11 walks, and two home runs. The former 12th-round pick got off to one of the worst starts you could ask for, but the rest of his year is what makes him a prospect the Pirates should capitalize on.

After that horrendous start, Curtis settled down to post a 2.87 ERA, 3.83 FIP, and 1.07 WHIP in 97.1 innings of work. The right-hander was striking out just over a quarter of opponents, with a 25.8% K%, while only allowing a walk 8.8% of the time. Curtis was not home run prone either, with a 0.92 HR/9. Batters hit below the Mendoza Line vs. Curtis as well, with a .190 batting average against. Curtis ended his season on an extremely high note, getting promoted to Double-A Altoona and tossing two perfect innings with three Ks. Plus, he was especially good in the second half, with a 2.53 ERA, 3.58 FIP, and 0.93 WHIP.

Curtis has a wide variety of pitches at his disposal. He uses both a four-seam and two-seam fastball, as well as a slider, curveball, changeup, and an occasional cutter. The right-hander is a hard thrower, especially for a starter, consistently coming in around the mid-to-upper-90s. All of his offerings project as average or better, except for his curveball. Walks have been his only problem in pro ball, but he cut his BB% down from 12.2% in 2024 to only 9.7% this year.

Curtis is completely flying under the radar. He isn’t on either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America’s top 30 Pirates prospect list, but his pitch mix and improved performance at the next level of the minor leagues should make him a prospect that garners interest on the trade market. He’s definitely one pitching prospect the Pirates should utilize if they make a swap this offseason.