Could the Pirates still add through free agency before the start of the 2024 season?

This has been a big week for Pittsburgh fans. It started on Sunday when Oneil Cruz hit two long home runs in back-to-back innings. Then Sunday night it became an even bigger scene for Pittsburgh fans as it was reported that the Steelers would be signing free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson. This was the first of what is expected to be many signings by the football team.

With free agency opening up this Wednesday in the National Football League, it definitely stands out just how different the process is between the two sports. Baseball has a long, lethargic offseason that sprinkles signings and trades all throughout November, December, January, and February. Meanwhile the NFL, much like the NBA and NHL, see their free agency window open up with breaking news story after breaking news story, with basically all of the high-end players signing within days of being able to.

Yet, it is March and some of the best Major League Baseball players that hit the market after the 2023 season are still free agents. This includes stars like Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and JD Martinez along with many more. It is odd to see, especially considering how the "Qualifying Offer" does not make the impact on a team like it once did if they signed a player designated as such.

With all that being said, it was rumored entering Spring Training that the Pittsburgh Pirates wanted to add more starting pitching.

General Manager Ben Cherington commented on this numerous times. However, the team has not really done anything to complete that goal. They did bring in left-handed starter Eric Lauer on a minor-league deal, but that's not a guarantee to upgrade the rotation by any means.

The team will not sign Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, their owner is too cheap to do so. However, there are a few starting pitchers that the team has shown interest in or should definitely consider. Both Domingo German and Noah Syndergaard are pitchers that the team was connected to this past offseason. There are also old friends available to Vince Velasquez (TJ recovery) and Rich Hill (hopefully not). The best realistic arm left on the market and who I think would be a really good fit with the team is Michael Lorenzen.