4 former Pirates who could end up back in Pittsburgh via free agency

Josh Bell

The Pirates traded Josh Bell during the 2020-2021 offseason. He has put up mixed numbers since, but he hasn’t had a below-average season per measure of wRC+ in his career unless you count the 223 plate appearances he took during the 2020 campaign. Although he may best be served for a part-time 1B/DH role, the Pirates could definitely use a solid bat regardless of playing time or position.

Bell started the year off with the Miami Marlins but hit just .239/.302/.369 with a .294 wOBA and 85 wRC+ through his first three months. Although Bell kept his strikeout rate under control at 18.1%, he didn’t draw many walks (7% BB rate). He did not hit for much pop either, with just eight home runs in 342 plate appearances and an isolated slugging percentage of .129.

But after the start of July, which included a trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Bell would turn things around and hit .262/.342/.454 with a .347 wOBA and 121 wRC+ throughout his final 261 plate appearances of the year. His strikeout rate took a turn in the wrong direction to 22.2% (which was still better than the league average), but he walked much more frequently, upping his BB% to 10.3%. He also saw his power output rise with 11 homers and a .192 isolated slugging percentage.

This may not have been a complete fluke, either. Bell saw his barrel rate go from 6.8% to 8.6%, and his exit velo rose from 88.4 MPH to 89.4 MPH. The switch-hitter’s xwOBA also rose from just .304 to .329. Bell’s rate of making quality contact went up and he was also more selective with pitches, as his out-of-zone swing rate fell from 29.7% to 26.2%.

The downside is Bell’s defense at first base hasn’t improved since the Pirates traded him. He was the worst defensive first baseman in the eyes of DRS and the second-worst in OAA this season. 

Bell may thrive in a platoon/part-time role at first base and designated hitter. Andrew McCutchen isn’t getting any younger, and the Pirates have very little depth at first base. He should not be the full-time answer, however, as they have plenty of better, full-time options to pursue, but he’d still find plenty of playing time with 2-3 starts a week at 1B and DH, along with potential pinch-hitting appearances. 

Trevor Williams

Trevor Williams put up some decent numbers with the Pirates in 2017-2018. However, he’d struggle over his next two seasons before being let go. Since then, he’s bounced around the league, pitching both as a long reliever and starting pitcher. But he is arguably coming off his best campaign since 2018, this time with the Washington Nationals.

Williams pitched 66 2/3 innings and logged a 2.03 ERA, 2.79 FIP, and 1.03 WHIP. The right-hander has never been one to strike out many batters, but his 22.7% strikeout rate is a career-best mark and was slightly above average. He also had a solid 6.9% walk rate, which is the second-best of his career thus far, and a 0.41 HR/9 rate (a single-season best).

But don’t take these numbers at face value. Williams only started 13 games and was limited because of injuries. He had a .261 batting average on balls in play despite a career average BABIP of .299. The veteran also had an abnormally low 4.2% HR/FB ratio despite a solid, albeit not elite, 6.6% barrel rate.

While Williams may not be a low-2.00 ERA-type pitcher, that doesn’t mean he can’t be effective. He still had a 3.82 xFIP, 3.96 SIERA, and 3.13 xERA. Baseball Prospectus’ DRA- also had him at an above-average 95. That might mean he’s due for regression, but not enough to make him unplayable, and it would still make him a solid middle-to-back end rotation arm. For reference, in 2018, when he had a 3.11 ERA, he also had a 4.54 xFIP, 4.68 SIERA, 4.14 xERA, and 104 DRA-, so there might be some merit to his ‘24 performance despite the small sample size.

The Pirates could re-sign Williams and slot him into the fifth spot of the rotation. That would give them many avenues to explore in their usage (or potential trade of) pitchers like Bailey Falter andJohan Oviedo, as well as youngsters on the 40-man roster like Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows.

Charlie Morton

Charlie Morton is another pitcher who could slot into the back of the Pirates’ rotation. Morton pitched with the Bucs from 2009-2015. Since the Pirates traded him after the ‘15 season, he has had some very successful campaigns with the Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, and Atlanta Braves. Although he is older, he still had some decent numbers in his age-40 campaign.

Morton pitched 165 1/3 innings, working a 4.19 ERA, 4.46 FIP, and 1.32 WHIP. The veteran right-hander struck out 23.8% of opponents, which, while still above average, was his lowest single-season K rate since leaving the Pirates. He also had a 9.3% walk rate and 1.25 HR/9, both of which were slightly below league average in 2024.

Morton, who earned the nickname Ground Chuck with the Pirates, still induced ground balls at an excellent 47.2% rate, which was in the 75th percentile of hurlers in ‘24. Morton was about league average in inducing soft contact with an 88.7 MPH exit velocity, but his 9.3% barrel rate was below average. Morton’s 4.06 SIERA and 3.99 xFIP paint a similar picture to his bottom line.

One major positive Morton brings to the table is durability. He has started at least 30 games every year since 2018 (not including 2020). If the Braves are done with him, then there's an obvious opportunity for the Pirates to capitalize.. Morton is still considering pitching in 2025, and based on previous interests, wants to stay on the east coast. That potentially leaves the door open for a return to the Bucs.