Pittsburgh Pirates: Under-the-Radar Pitchers to Target in Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Pirates face a crucial off-season, and securing these five pitchers is imperative if they aspire to transform into contenders.
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Baltimore Orioles v Arizona Diamondbacks / Norm Hall/GettyImages
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No. 4 Trevor May

Trevor May has had a strong career as a reliever who can close games and started some previously. In 2023, May was mostly a closer for the Athletics, where he showed his potential to be a key piece in the bullpen after struggling with the Mets in 2022.

May will be going into his tenth season at age 34, but coming off his best season ever. If the Pirates could sign him to reinforce the back of the bullpen, they could emerge as one of the best. May struggled to start the season with the Athletics, which is a given when you don't get any run support. But in his small sample size of 46 innings, he did well with a 3.28 ERA.

In 2023, May struggled a bit with his control and gave up a career-high in walks, but he didn't give up as many hits or runs. His main problem with signing with the Pirates is that his costs are quite steep, as he has earned at least $7 million a year for the past three seasons with the Mets and Athletics. It's unknown if the Pirates will target May, but it could be possible.