5 pitchers who could be in the Pittsburgh Pirates' rotation by end of year

Marco Gonzales

The Pirates acquired Marco Gonzales this offseason from the Atlanta Braves in hopes he could add some stability to the back of their starting rotation. He more than served his purpose through the first half of April; he looked like a significant addition, but then landed on the IL in mid-April, where he's been for most of the year. Luckily, he could soon return to help out the back of the Pirates' rotation now.

Gonzales only made three starts before hitting the IL, but was quite effective in those three outings. He pitched 17 innings with a 2.65 ERA, 3.51 FIP, and 1.18 WHIP. He's never been one to strike out many batters, and his 15.9% K% isn't out of the ordinary for him, but Gonzales only allowed one homer with a 7.2% walk rate.

Gonzales has a history of being a solid and durable arm. The last two years have been pretty injury-riddled, but from 2018 through 2022, Gonzales made 131 starts, pitched 765 innings, and had a 3.94 ERA, 4.35 FIP, and 1.24 WHIP. He was one of just seven other pitchers with at least 130 games started and an ERA under 4.00.

The Pirates aren't likely to trade Gonzales unless he's included in a larger package to get another bat. The Pirates have the option to bring him back for 2025 if they think he will fit into their rotation, and for an affordable $12 million, too. At the very least, they'll hold onto him for now and reassess where they are at the end of the season.