Pittsburgh Pirates: Five Underrated Free Agents Still on the Market

Matt Moore

Here is the list of left-handed relievers who had a sub-2.00 ERA in 60+ frames: A.J. Minter, Brock Burke, and Matt Moore. Moore was a massive surprise for the Texas Rangers last year. Formerly an all-star starting pitcher, Moore has had his fair share of struggles, injuries, and inconsistencies. Going into 2022, Moore had yet to post a sub-4.00 ERA in 60+ innings pitched since 2013, but things changed for the better last year.

Along with an outstanding 1.95 ERA, Moore had a 2.95 FIP and 1.18 WHIP through 74 innings. Moore's 27.3% strikeout rate was by far a career-best. He also only allowed three home runs, leading to a 0.36 HR/9 rate. Moore's ground ball rate of 43.9% was only slightly above average but increased its effectiveness by being in the top 69th percentile of average opponent exit velocity (87.7 MPH), 93rd percentile of opponent hard-hit rate (31.3%), and 91st percentile of barrel rate (4.4%).

Now that's not to say there is no risk. Next year will be his age-34 campaign, and he walked 12.5% of the batters he faced. Both xFIP and SIERA painted Moore in a less positive light at 3.87 and 3.69, respectively. But on the plus side, all of Baseball Savant's expected measurements placed Moore in the top 87th percentile or greater.

Moore was so good for Texas that he was consistently seeing playing time in the eighth and ninth inning after the all-star break. In the final 29 appearances of his season, only three were made before the eighth inning, and all three were in the seventh inning. One lasted until the eighth inning as well. Moore was also highly effective during this stretch, with a 2.80 ERA/3.33 FIP.

There have been nearly no rumors about a guy who was one of baseball's most dominant left-handed relievers in 2022 and showed he could handle more high-leverage work. The most has been the Chicago Cubs looking into him and Andrew Chafin. Yes, he's older and comes with some risk, but still. You're talking about a left-handed reliever who pitched over 70 innings and had an ERA under 2.00.

Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer received the American League's 2016 Rookie of the Year and made the all-star game the following season. After struggling in 2018 and undergoing Tommy John surgery, eliminating him for 2019 and nearly all of 2020, Fulmer's long-term future was up in the air entering 2021, but he re-invented himself as a reliever.

As a reliever in 2021, Fulmer worked to a 2.53 ERA, 3.28 FIP, and 1.26 WHIP. He had a 27.4% strikeout rate along with an outstanding 6.2% walk rate. Plus, his 0.9 HR/9 was another solid mark in his season. Fulmer worked himself in the Tigers' closer role by the end of the season and continued to work fairly well into the first half of 2022.

Fulmer's first 34 innings of the season saw him post a 2.38 ERA, 3.35 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP. While his walk rate spiked to 12.7%, he still had a solid 23.9% strikeout rate and cut his HR/9 down to just .26. But the wheels started to fall off for Fulmer after the All-Star Break. In the remaining 29.2 innings Fulmer would work, he would manage just a 4.55 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and 1.65 WHIP. Now granted, he did run into some terrible luck, indicated by his .391 batting average on balls in play, but Fulmer's strikeout rate dipped to 20.1% while his HR/9 jumped back to 0.91-per-9. His walk rate came down to a much more manageable 7.5% rate, but it was about the only silver lining in Fulmer's second half.

Overall, it was a weird season for Fulmer. The right-hander was still above average at limiting hard contact, though he was much better in 2021. He's still a potential low-risk free agent to pursue. Fulmer could fill in a set-up role for the right price. He'll only be entering his age-30 campaign, and adding another layer of bullpen help should be one more thing the Pirates do.

Like Moore, it's a surprise to see Michael Fulmer still lingering on the free agent market. Although he wasn't the most premier reliever available, he's displayed he can be a quality back-of-the-bullpen arm. He's definitely a player the Pirates should at least kick the tires on.

Josh Harrison

The Pirate middle infield situation looks to be set with Oneil Cruz and Rodolfo Castro manning shortstop and second base. They also have Tucupita Marcano on hand, who can play both middle infield spots, and Ji-Hwan Bae, even though he has seen an increasing amount of time in the outfield. But they traded two right-handed hitting middle infielders when they sent Kevin Newman to the Cincinnati Reds and Diego Castillo to the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates might benefit from getting a stable veteran right-handed hitting shortstop/second baseman, and since the Pirates already brought back a fan favorite and a key part of their 2013-2015 success with Andrew McCutchen, why not bring back another player from that era? Josh Harrison is still on the free agent market and still posted somewhat respectable numbers.

In 425 plate appearances, Harrison batted .256/.317/.370, a triple-slash that is almost identical to Kevin Newman. Harrison's trademark low-walk/low-strikeout approach was on display once again with the Chicago White Sox with a 4.9% walk rate and 16.7% strikeout rate. Overall, he had a .305 wOBA and 98 wRC+. 

But Harrison posted much better numbers from the start of July onward. His final 248 plate appearances saw him bat .276/.328/.390 with a .317 wOBA, and 106 wRC+, which was about 10% better than Newman. He's not hitting for much power and never has, but he still posted an above-average OBP and average during this stretch, which still accumulated to an above-average wRC+.

Harrison's glovework at second base and third base still gets positive reviews. The former All-Star spent most of his season as the White Sox's second baseman, where he had +3 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average. He only had 187 frames logged at third base, but he still racked up +3 DRS and +1 OAA.

Getting another middle infielder isn't and shouldn't be on the top of the Pirates' priority list. They still have a few guys on the 40-man roster who can play up the middle, and with prospects like Nick Gonzales, and Liover Peguero, nearing major league readiness, it's not a pressing need. But Harrison's ability to play second, third, and left field could come in handy, given that both Marcano and Bae are lefties. Plus, how fun would it be to have both McCutchen and Harrison back on the Pirates?

Edwin Rios

The non-tender deadline always has a few surprising names. While Cody Bellinger was the most notable this year, one name that the Los Angeles Dodgers let go, despite being more productive than Bellinger last year, was first baseman Edwin Rios. Rios is a power hitter who has yet to be picked up on a major or minor league deal.

Rios only had 92 plate appearances last season but still hit .244/.293/.500. Despite stepping to the plate less than 100 times, he hit seven home runs. Although the downside is he only drew five free passes and struck out a whopping 36 times. But Rios has done much better in the past.

In 2019-2020, Rios slashed .260/.338/.634 in 139 plate appearances. Rios crushed a dozen dingers to go along with a decent 9.4% walk rate. Strikeouts were an issue, but not nearly to the extent of 2022. He had a 28.8% strikeout rate, which is still below average, but better than 36 in 92 plate appearances. Overall, he had a 150 wRC+ in this small sample size.

Rios has a ton of raw power. FanGraphs gives him a 70 raw power grade, and he has a 90.9 MPH exit velocity in the major leagues. He also has a 47% hard-hit rate and 15.5% barrel rate. For reference of how good his career barrel rate is, there were only 15 batters last year with a 15%+ barrel rate in 300+ plate appearances.

Although the Pittsburgh Pirates added a handful of first base options this winter with Ji-Man Choi, Carlos Santana, and Connor Joe, and also have Malcolm Nuñez at Triple-A. Rios still has control through the 2025 season and has a minor league option remaining. Despite little fanfare, Rios might be the best power hitter left on the free agent market.

Matt Wisler

Matt Wisler looked dead in the water a few years ago. After a handful of years struggling as a starting pitcher, the former top prospect looked as if he would be one of the many failed prospects in baseball’s history. But since 2020, he’s reinvented himself as a stable relief pitcher. Now on the open market, Wisler is looking for a team for 2023.

Wisler pitched 44 innings for the Tampa Bay Rays last season, working to a 2.25 ERA, 4.25 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP. Although Wisler’s strikeout rate dropped from 31.8% to just 19.9%, and his walk rate increased from 5.6% to 8%, he was still excellent at limiting hard contact. Wisler held opposing batters to an 87.5 MPH exit velocity and 30.7% hard-hit rate. This helped make up for the fact he is a heavy flyball pitcher. Wisler’s fly ball rate sat at 57.6% while his ground ball rate was just 24.8%.

Fly balls typically result in hits the fewest amount of times, but they also result in the most home runs, which is one reason he had a .198 batting average on balls in play. But even then, that mark is a large indication of luck. In 2020-2021, he had a similar fly ball rate and batted ball rates, but had a much less worrisome .284 BAbip. Plus the dip in strikeout rate and rise in walk rate is slightly concerning. This is reflected in his 4.90 xFIP and 4.52 SIERA.

But Wisler did have a terrific 2020-2021. He struck out nearly a quarter of the opponents he squared off against (32.1% strikeout rate), along with a 2.84 ERA, 3.10 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP. Underlying numbers liked Wisler’s work in 2020-2021 much more than in 2022, as he had a 4.03 xFIP, but 3.27 SIERA. 

Wisler likely isn’t going to land a massive deal, maybe a one-year deal, or even a minor league pact. Either way, the Pirates could secure a low-risk reliever with a recent history of success in the majors. He might not be a high-leverage arm, but he would certainly be a better middle relief option than Duane Underwood Jr., and could occasionally open games. After all, he made five appearances as an opener last year, so in the event that is needed, the Pirates could use him in that role as well.