The Pittsburgh Pirates usually sign a veteran left-handed starting pitcher to round out their rotation. From Derek Holland in 2020 to Andrew Heaney in 2025, it’s turned into a borderline tradition for the Pirates since Ben Cherington took over as general manager after the 2019 season. With a potential rotation spot still remaining after trading both Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo, the Pirates could follow the trend they set, and sign a lefty starter to complete their depth chart. But if they go against the grain, there are plenty of solid low-cost right-handed starters they could sign.
Zack Littell
After making only four starts through his first 145 MLB games from 2018 through 2022, Zack Littell began seeing more playing time out of the rotation with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2023. Since then, he’s solidified himself as a quality starting pitcher. Over the last two seasons, he has tallied 343 innings of work over 61 starts with a 3.73 ERA, and 1.12 WHIP. His 4.5% walk rate over the last two campaigns is tied with Miles Mikolas for the lowest among all qualified pitchers.
Now there certainly are some question marks about his performance. Littell only has a 19.2% strikeout rate, and has been prone to both home runs and quality contact. Opponents have a 9.7% barrel rate against him, the fifth highest in baseball over 2024 and 2025. That, along with an 89.8 MPH exit velocity has led to a 1.54 HR/9 ratio.
While this may raise some red flags, Littell’s workload and bottom line represent a quality starting pitcher. Even the 4.19 xFIP and 4.20 SIERA are not significantly worse than league average, and the ability to limit free passes means the home runs he does allow won’t be very damaging.
Griffin Canning
Griffin Canning looked on his way to a solid rebound season after signing with the New York Mets. After posting an ERA and FIP over 5.00 in 2024 with the LA Angels, Canning kicked his tenure with the Mets off with a 3.77 ERA, 4.04 FIP, and 1.38 WHIP. He had a respectable 21.3% K% and 0.94 HR/9 ratio, albeit with a less than spectacular 10.7% walk rate. Canning was prone to hard contact with a 91.4 MPH exit velo, and 9.4% barrel rate, but induced ground balls at a career-high 50.9% rate.
Unfortunately, injuries impeded the rest of Canning’s season. On June 26 in a game against the Atlanta Braves, Canning was helped off the field with a left leg injury. He was then diagnosed with a ruptured achilles, which brought his season to an end after only 16 starts and 76.1 innings of work. However, it seems like he will be ready to go for the 2026 season.
The Pirates wouldn’t be the only team to look into Canning if they opted to pursue him. The Mets are reportedly considering a reunion with Canning, with the division rival St. Louis Cardinals having him on their radar, along with the Chicago White Sox. Canning would likely still be a lower-cost free agent, and given how well he rebounded in 2025, should be a free agent target to round out the Pirates’ rotation.
Justin Verlander
Despite entering his early-40s, future Hall of Fame right-hander Justin Verlander showed he had some gas left in the tank. However, he did struggle during the first half of the season. Verlander owned a 4.70 ERA, 4.22 FIP, and 1.42 WHIP in 76 innings entering the All-Star break with the San Francisco Giants. He had a solid 7.7% walk rate and 1.17 HR/9, but only struck out 19.9% of opponents with a poor 89.4 MPH exit velocity and 10.4% barrel rate.
However, Verlander found his groove in the second half of the season. His final 75.1 innings of the campaign saw him put up a 2.99 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and a 1.30 WHIP. Verlander’s walk rate remained relatively the same, coming in at 8%, and he improved his K% to 21.5%. The biggest improvement to his game was his home run rate and ability to induce weak contact. Verlander had just a 0.72 HR/9 ratio, 87.6 MPH exit velocity, and a 5.8% barrel percentage.
The most impressive part of Verlander’s season was his strong 106 Stuff+, despite his advancing age. Verlander wants to keep pitching in 2026. Two teams have shown interest in Verlander this offseason, that being the Giants and the Baltimore Orioles. Verlander is one of the best starting pitchers remaining on the free agent market, and would be a very noteworthy addition to the Pirates’ rotation.
