3 relievers with rebound potential the Pirates should sign this offseason

The Pittsburgh Pirates need help in the bullpen. They should certainly consider bringing in some players with rebound potential. Relievers are the most volatile position on the diamond, and one lousy week or two can sometimes define an entire season, given that bullpen arms do not play that many innings a year.

Plus, with the Pirates bringing in a new assistant pitching coach who has a strong resume and track record in Brent Strom, they might benefit from signing a relief pitcher with rebound potential.

3 potential rebound candidates Pirates should sign for 2025 bullpen

Caleb Ferguson

Caleb Ferguson was a solid bullpen arm for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2018 through 2023. Ferguson pitched to a 3.43 ERA, 3.78 FIP, and 1.29 WHIP during that stretch across 207.1 innings. The left-hander consistently struck out opponents at a high rate of 27.7% with a respectable 9.2% walk rate and 1.11 HR/9. He also was great at limiting hard contact against him, sporting an 87.9 MPH average exit velocity and 4.8% barrel rate.

The Dodgers then traded Ferguson to the New York Yankees last offseason, but he performed poorly and was eventually flipped again to the Houston Astros at the trade deadline. Ferguson owned a 4.64 ERA, 3.74 FIP, and 1.49 WHIP in 54.1 IP between his two new teams. However, there are many reasons why Ferguson could rebound next year.

None of his peripherals were out of the ordinary. He carried a 26.9% strikeout rate, 10% walk rate, and 0.99 HR/9 in 2024. None are far off from his days with LA. He did give up more hard contact than usual, with an 88.2 MPH exit velo and 6.5% barrel rate, but he was still above the 65th percentile in both stats. ERA estimators also did not paint him in a better or worse light than they did during his days in LA. Prior to the trade to NY, Ferguson had a 3.50 SIERA and 3.68 xFIP. He then put up a 3.43 SIERA and 3.50 xFIP while with the Yankees and Astros.

On top of that, Ferguson pitched far better with the Astros than the Yankees. After getting traded to Houston, Ferguson tossed 21 innings, working to a 3.86 ERA, 2.86 FIP, and 1.48 FIP. Ferguson allowed just a single home run and a 3.5% barrel rate, striking out 27.7% of his opponents with a 9.6% free pass rate.

The only thing that happened to Ferguson that could potentially be a red flag was a loss in four-seam velocity. He averaged 93.8 MPH this year, but in 2023, he averaged out at 95.8 MPH. Conversely, though, his cutter went from 86.6 MPH to 89 MPH year-over-year, and he tinkered with both a slurve and sinker this season.

Ferguson is only 28, and given that he barely changed the way he pitched from 2023 to 2024, he's a good bet to rebound in 2025.