MLB.com connects World Series winning free agent relief pitcher to Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have taken a (very tiny) step toward improving their infield and their offense this offseason in trading for first baseman Spencer Horwitz, but they need to start turning their attention to other areas of need on their roster – like the bullpen.

While starting pitching remains a clear strength (perhaps the only strength) in Pittsburgh, relief pitching is another story. The Pirates lost Aroldis Chapman and Jalen Beeks in free agency, and they have yet to sign another reliever to a bullpen that greatly underperformed last season. While they appear committed to David Bednar as their closer, he is also coming off a disaster of a 2024 season that saw him demoted from the role down the final stretch, so Pittsburgh would be wise to add some more late-inning insurance.

Adding a left-handed reliever should probably be a priority for the Pirates, as Joey Wentz is currently the only southpaw in their bullpen, but there are some right-handers who could fit their needs as well. And, frankly, considering their bullpen had the fourth-highest ERA in the league last season, the Pirates will take what they can get.

MLB.com connects World Series winning free agent relief pitcher Jose Leclerc to Pirates

In a Dec. 28 article identifying one realistic free agent fit for each MLB team, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com named former Texas Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc as a fit for the Pirates. While Leclerc is right-handed and coming off a down year by his standards in 2024, Stumpf acknowledges that he could be an ideal candidate for the Pirates to sign to a one-year contract to rebuild value in 2025.

The Pirates have made several such signings in recent years – including Chapman, who earned a one-year, $10.75 million contract with the Boston Red Sox this offseason – so they could look to do the same with Leclerc. The 29-year-old went 6-5 with a 4.32 ERA and 1.32 WHIP and had one save across 64 appearances in 2024. While his ERA was considerably higher than his career average (3.27), he struck out 89 batters in 66 2/3 innings, and his 2.78 strikeout-to-walk ratio was his best since 2018.

Leclerc had his $6.25 million contract option picked up by the Rangers for 2024 after his playoff heroics in Texas' run to a World Series title in 2023. With Chapman's $10.5 million salary off the books, the Pirates should easily be able to afford a reliever of Leclerc's caliber to bolster their bullpen in 2025.

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