Pirates could run into former pitcher soon after Twins-Nationals trade

Justin Lawrence’s strange season could bring him back across the Pittsburgh Pirates’ path almost immediately.

The Washington Nationals claimed the right-hander off waivers from the Minnesota Twins this week, only days after Minnesota designated him for assignment. Lawrence is out of minor league options, meaning Washington will have to add him directly to its active roster once he reports. That matters for Pittsburgh because the Pirates are scheduled to visit Nationals Park from July 3-5, giving them a chance to face their former reliever just weeks after cutting ties.

For the Pirates, Lawrence was never a long-term solution this season. His stuff has always been intriguing, but the results simply weren't there. Pittsburgh designated him for assignment in May after a rough start, and the Twins picked him up in a cash deal. Minnesota’s experiment did not last long either, as Lawrence was hit hard enough to land back on waivers. Now, the Nationals are taking their shot.

Justin Lawrence lands with third team in less than a month following Pirates DFA

It is easy to understand why a rebuilding team with bullpen problems would be interested in Lawrence. Washington’s relief corps has been one of the worst in baseball, and Lawrence still offers the kind of raw arm talent teams are willing to gamble on. His season ERA is ugly at 8.04 over 28 innings between Pittsburgh and Minnesota, but there are some indicators that suggest he could be worth taking a flier on. His strand rate is extremely low, his home run-to-fly ball rate is unsustainably high, and his strikeout rate remains respectable.

Of course, none of this erases the bigger issue: Lawrence still walks far too many hitters. His 14.5% walk rate is the kind of number that can wreck any outing, especially for a reliever without minor league options or much margin for error. If the Nationals can't quickly clean that up, Lawrence could soon find himself designated for assignment yet again.

For the Pirates, this is mostly a small-world bullpen subplot. They moved on because they needed more dependability in relief, and Lawrence’s command (or lack thereof) made him too difficult to trust. But baseball has a way of bringing these stories back around quickly.

If Lawrence is still with Washington by next weekend, the Pirates may get an immediate look at whether their former reliever has found anything new — or whether the same problems that ended his time in Pittsburgh follow him into another National League bullpen.

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