Pirates sign 2024 Astros trade deadline addition but with odd twist

The Pittsburgh Pirates have addressed another roster need for 2025, bolstering their bullpen with another left-handed reliever.

The Pirates and 28-year-old southpaw Caleb Ferguson have agreed to a one-year deal, pending a physical, per a report from Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. According to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, Ferguson will be guaranteed $3 million. The Pirates have open spots on their 40-man roster and therefore will not need to make a corresponding move.

Ferguson, a 38th-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2014, spent the majority of his career in LA. He has put up solid numbers in relief since missing the 2021 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, logging a 3.68 ERA over 261 2/3 innings.

Ferguson's ERA ballooned up to 4.64 in 2024 over 54 1/3 innings between the New York Yankees and the Astros, but his 26.9% strikeout rate, 10% walk rate and 46.7% ground ball rate remained close to his career averages.

Pirates swipe lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson in free agency, leave door open for possible starter role

Stumpf added a surprising new wrinkle to the Ferguson signing, reporting that the Pirates may choose to use him as a starter. More specifically, Stumpf reports that Pirates "intend to stretch him out to potentially place him on a starter schedule in Spring Training."

This update has left Pirates fans scratching their heads, especially given the club's starting pitching depth and lack of lefty bullpen arms since the departure of Jalen Beeks and Aroldis Chapman in free agency. Even after dealing starter Luis Ortiz to the Cleveland Guardians as part of the Spencer Horwitz trade last month, the Pirates still have a full, five-man rotation consisting of Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter (who just settled for $2.222 million in arbitration for 2025), and Johan Oviedo – and that's not including top prospect Bubba Chandler, who is expected to make his MLB debut at some point in 2025.

Perhaps the Pirates are hoping Ferguson will play a role similar to the one Ortiz played last year, pitching both as a starter and a reliever. This could give Pittsburgh more flexibility on the trade market in-season if they intend to add a bat at the deadline, or in the event of an injury to a member of their starting staff. But beyond that, Ferguson is best deployed as a reliever in Pittsburgh.

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