This Pirates pitcher is quietly becoming a fascinating trade deadline chip

Jose Urquidy's stint in the Pirates bullpen to start the 2026 season was nothing short of disastrous. While that's been a theme for the Pirates bullpen as a whole this year, Urquidy was particularly bad, as the longtime starting pitcher turned reliever had a 8.53 ERA in five outings. He was optioned to the minor leagues shortly thereafter to be forgotten as yet another cheap Ben Cherington bullpen solution gone bad... or so we thought.

In Indianapolis, Uquidy has quietly emerged as a reliable starting pitcher. The right-hander was named the Indians June Player of the Month, as he had a 3-0 record paired with a 3.12 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and .207 opponent average in five starts. Because of his recent success, Urquidy could become an intriguing trade chip for the right team, or even earn a second chance in Pittsburgh.

What should the Pirates do with Jose Urquidy?

The Pirates are between a rock and hard place with Urquidy. Yes, their bullpen could use some reinforcements, as always. But by promoting Urquidy they risk history repeating itself, which would surely tank any remaining trade value the right-hander has. While the Pirates starting rotation has struggled of late, Urquidy is not an upgrade over anyone in the mix for those spots. Yet, that's the exact role he's thriving in in Indianapolis.

Ben Cherington's best bet, especially while the Pirates sit near the .500 mark and have yet to decide their trade deadline fate, could be to keep Urquidy in the minor leagues and allow him to manufacture his own hype train from afar.

Urquidy hasn't been an effective major-league starting pitcher since 2022. He's failed miserably out of the bullpen since then, and thus is not the solution the Pirates are desperately searching for in that department. He is, however, trade bait, and that's not nothing around this time of year, when pitchers are as valuable as gold.

Inside the Pirates MLB trade deadline strategy

Much like Urquidy, Cherington is a phone call away for both prospective buyers and sellers. This Pirates team has the best chance of any since Cherington took over to make the playoffs. They also just lost Konnor Griffin until at least September, and Oneil Cruz and Spencer Horwitz remain on the injured list as well. These are realities Cherington must confront before going all-in on, say, a bullpen addition like Aroldis Chapman.

What teams in the Pirates position typically do is a little bit of both. Cherington can add some high-upside, low-risk relief arms to prove he tried, while also selling on expiring assets like Urquidy, who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh this winter that to date hasn't worked out.

What makes Cherington's trade deadline different from other front office leaders is that he's been with the Pirates since 2019. At some point, the major-league product has to reach its full potential. If Cherington is feeling the heat at all, he might as well go down swinging, which could involve moving the 31-year-old retread currently dealing in Triple-A either way.

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