Pirates News: Alex Verdugo interest, Charlie Morton, Paul Skenes Cy Young odds

The Pirates finally have real news relating to their search for an outfielder. Robert Murray stated on The Baseball Insiders Podcast that the Pirates have interest in free agent outfielder Alex Verdugo. Murray recently stated him as a fit for the Pirates, but since then it has grown into real interest. He stated that no deal is close, but confirmed the Pirates like Verdugo as an offensive addition.

Verdugo is coming off of the worst season of his career, but there is reason to believe that he can rebound nicely on the Pirates. The New York environment has been hard on lots of players, and coming to Pittsburgh has been a relief for many of those same players. A recent example is Dennis Santana, who is now a high-leverage arm in the Pirates bullpen.

Additionally, Verdugo has a history of having an above-average bat. His career wRC+ is at 101, along with a strikeout percentage of just 15.1% and an OPS of .742. If this does happen and the Pirates do sign Verdugo, there is reason to be a bit concerned about his production, but there is also reason to be optimistic about a rebound. He has been a decent hitter in his career, but 2024 was not a good example of his talents.

Former Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton signs one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

The 41-year-old right hander is back again on a one-year deal in Baltimore. It was no surprise that he was able to land a contract, but there was some hope that he would return to the Pirates after the addition of pitching coach Brent Strom. After dealing Luis Ortiz, it seemed a bit more likely that Morton would find a role in Pittsburgh.

Seeing as he eventually landed a $15 million deal in Baltimore, though, it's easier to see why he was not swayed.

The oldest pitcher in the Pirates' rotation is Mitch Keller, who is going to be 29 this year, so adding that veteran voice to a young group of arms made a lot of sense. There were no legitimate rumors putting the two sides together, but it would have been interesting to see the veteran return to Pittsburgh. Now, that "veteran voice" responsibility will fall on Strom.

After winning the National League Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes is the favorite in NL Cy Young odds entering 2025.

Paul Skenes had an historic rookie season in 2024, starting in the All-Star Game and being named the top rookie in the National League. He was even a finalist for the Cy Young in his first major league season, which is an award that he is a favorite to win in 2025, according to FanDuel.

The sportsbook has Paul Skenes listed as the favorite to win the National League Cy Young award. Skenes might have won it in 2024, too, if he'd had enough innings, but if he puts up numbers in 2025 like he did in his rookie season, this award is a very realistic target for him.