4 former division rival players the Pirates should pursue this offseason

We are approaching the second half of the offseason. The Pittsburgh Pirates have already made one big move, acquiring Spencer Horwitz from the Cleveland Guardians, but there’s still work to do. They still need to find some help in the bullpen, along with improving their right field situation. Luckily, there’s still plenty of time to do so, and a ton of realistic options the Bucs could explore.

To make the scouting a bit similar, the Pirates should consider going after familiar faces. There are a handful of remaining free agents who once played with National League Central clubs. Some have given the Pirates plenty of trouble in the past. So why not consider pursuing some of these former division rivals to see if they can help the club out in 2025 or beyond?

4 former rivals Pirates should pursue this offseason

Andrew Chafin

Andrew Chafin’s stint in the National League Central was short-lived. He spent parts of the 2020 and 2021 seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Chafin pitched exceptionally well in his 42.1 inning stint with the Cubs, but has bounced around with the Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers since. Chafin’s 2024 season was a mixed bag.

The veteran left-handed reliever opened the year with the Tigers and pitched to a 3.16 ERA, 2.54 FIP, and 1.38 WHIP across 37 frames. Chafin struck out just over 30% of opponents with a 30.9% K% and limited home runs at a strong rate. Opponents managed just an 0.49 HR/9 with a below-average 6.3% barrel rate against Chafin. Walks were not his strong suit, although a 9.9% BB% is far from horrible.

Chafin was then sent to the Texas Rangers at the deadline, and he ended the season on a sour note. He had a 4.19 ERA, 5.44 FIP, and 1.66 WHIP, albeit in a small sample size of 19.1 innings. Chafin’s peripherals plummeted, as he only struck out 23.8% of batters faced with a horrible 17.9% walk rate. While his 86.1 MPH exit velocity and 6.1% barrel rate were both improvements over his time with the Tigers, his HR/9 jumped dramatically to 1.40.

While Chafin’s season likely did not end like how he would have wished, he’s proven to be a solid reliever time and time again. The Pirates very much need help in the bullpen, especially when it comes to left-handed relievers. Chafin is slightly older, as 2025 will be his age-35 campaign. But he makes a good fit for the Bucs’ bullpen.