Pittsburgh Pirates: Will they Add a Serious Starting Pitcher?

The Pittsburgh Pirates need starting pitching. This was a statement that was made at the end of the 2023 season. The team saw some of their top young arms like Luis Ortiz and Roansy Contreras take steps back in their development. Quinn Priester and Bailey Falter also left a lot to be desired out of their first stints in Black and Gold.

The thing is that pitchers and catchers will report officially on February 14th. Yet the most common phrase that still surrounds the Pittsburgh Pirates usually deals with them needing starting pitching help. While they have added a few starters in Marco Gonzales and Martin Perez, they have not added anyone that really moves the meter from the 2023 rotation.

Yes, Gonzales and Perez have been good in the past, but both are on the wrong side of 30. The two lefties are both coming off questionable 2023s as well, with Perez struggling and Gonzales missing most of the year with a forearm issue. So for fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates to not feel great about the rotation is not that big of a surprise at this point.

The good news is that over the last month or so it has been rumored multiple times that the Pittsburgh Pirates are still shopping the markets for a starter. The team was apparently in on starters Shota Imanaga and Sean Manaea but missed out on both. There was the hope that the team would maybe make a substantial trade to address the rotation but this seems to be less and less likely as Opening Day gets closer and closer.

The latest rumor is attaching the Pittsburgh Pirates to veteran starter pitcher Domingo German.

The former Yankee had a mediocre 2023 pitching to a 4.56 ERA. This was after he had served an 81-game suspension between 2022 and 2023 for Domestic Violence. So not exactly a player that fans would be excited to see join the roster.

The Pittsburgh Pirates need to add starting pitching. The team has tried to do so but has pretty much missed out on affordable options with upside. Instead, the team is once again sorting through the leftovers and bargain-hunting rather than being aggressive and adding a legitimate starter.