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

The Pittsburgh Pirates have some holes on the roster they need to fill. They could go the trade route, but the free agent market should hold plenty of options, including ones that are in the Pirates’ price range.

And even better? There are a number of former Pirates/familiar players that could fit the team's current vacancies as they look to rebound in 2025 and take their young core to the next level.

Ben Cherington never hesitates to capitalize on a deal, so perhaps he explores one or more of these reunions to address the big-league roster.

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

Clay Holmes

Clay Holmes set the record for the highest signing bonus for a ninth-round pick in 2011, in what could have been an historically great draft class for the Pirates. Although Holmes consistently displayed good stuff at the Major League level, he could never quite keep it under control while with the Bucs. He was then sent to the Yankees before the 2021 trade deadline, and after a brief but strong late-season showing in the Bronx, he would take off over the next three seasons.

Since 2022, Holmes has a 2.85 ERA, 2.84 FIP, and 1.17 WHIP. The walks that previously haunted him early in his career have waned, as his walk percentage has fallen to a respectable 8.2% rate. He’s done that while striking out just over a quarter of opponents (25.7%). But Holmes remains a groundball specialist. His 68.6% groundball rate since 2022 is the best among all pitchers in baseball (min. 150 IP). This elite GB% has led to a 3.3% barrel rate, which is tied for the second-best among pitchers with at least 150 IP.

Now, while Holmes’ numbers with the Yankees have been good, he conceded the closer role during the second half of the 2024 season. Holmes had a 3.65 ERA and FIP, along with a 1.42 WHIP throughout his final 24 2/3 innings of the year. Holmes was still striking out opponents at an above-average 25.5% clip with a 61.5% ground ball rate and 4.5% barrel rate. The problem? He was dishing out free passes at a rate not seen since his days with the Pirates (13%).

MLB Trade Rumors recently predicted that Holmes will earn a three-year contract for $30 million. The Pirates handed another former Yankee closer in Aroldis Chapman $10 million last offseason, so it isn’t an unprecedented amount for a reliever coming to the Bucs. The question with Holmes was never about his stuff, just his ability to consistently locate, and if he can continue to do that in a return to Pittsburgh, this would be a great investment.

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.