Pittsburgh Pirates: Could a Relief Pitcher be on the Move for a Starter?

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Somewhat of a shock came last night when Francys Romero and Robert Murray broke the news about the Pittsburgh Pirates signing Aroldis Chapman. Chapman has had a storied career from leaving Cuba for Major League Baseball and turning into a historical arm. The Cuban Missle was his nickname early on in his career. This is because he broke records with his fastball, consistently hitting the triple digits and ramping up to 105 at times.

Beyond the fact that he played for the rival Cincinnati Reds and was hated during those playoff years, it is a bit odd of a signing. Last year one of the biggest positive takeaways was the emergence of the bullpen. Not just one pitcher but multiple arms took steps forward and solidified their spots on the roster. These arms include Dauri Moreta, Ryan Borucki, and Jose Hernandez.

Of course, the backend of the bullpen was the major part that emerged. Everyone knew that David Bednar was an All-Star caliber closer. However, Colin Holderman impressed in his first full season with the Bucs, posting 58 punch-outs in 56 innings of work. Carmer Mlodzinski had a breakout rookie season posting a 2.35 ERA.

So how does veteran Aroldis Chapman fit into this bullpen? The obvious answer is that he slots in as the 7th or 8th inning guy when the matchups call for a lefty. He also has closing experience which is always needed throughout the season. Still, this signing just seems so random. Why is that?

A lingering question that remains is why the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to give out one of their most lucrative free-agent deals in Franchise history. While $10.5 million is not a huge number, it very much is for the Pirates. Furthermore, it is a lot of money for the Bucs to spend on a 7th/8th inning guy. Why be so aggressive financially for a reliever when starters are signing for similar prices? For instance, the Dodgers inked starter James Paxton to a 1-year pact worth $11 million.

Could there be another move on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Pirates?

First and foremost the team will need to announce the Chapman deal. Then they will he to make a corresponding roster move as well as the 40-man roster is currently full. However, there is no obvious reliever that would be worth outright cutting at this point.

So could this all add up to a trade finally occuring? It has been rumored for a month now that the Pittsburgh Pirates were looking to make a significant addition to the rotation beyond Marco Gonzales and Martin Perez. Are the Bucs going to use one of their young, controllable, power relief pitchers to net a starter?

If it is a starter with upside then it would probably take more than just a relief pitcher. But if the Bucs add on some pieces around the relief pitcher they probably could make something happen. One team that stands out to me is the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners no longer have Paul Sewald who was a part of their backend routine. Andres Munoz is their closer, but he missed significant time last year. Meanwhile their division rivals the Astros and Angels fortified their bullpens this week. Josh Hader signed a deal with the Astros and former Bucco reliever Robert Stephenson signed with the Angels.

The Mariners have been relatively quiet this offseason which is rare. They have not made any real big splashes and still have plenty of needs including relief help and middle infield help. These are two areas that the Pittsburgh Pirates have depth at, especially now in the bullpen with Chapman. The team wants to add starting pitching and it is seeming more and more likely that it will be through a trade.

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Could there be another move on the horizon for the Pittsburgh Pirates?

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