Most of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation is set. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, and Braxton Ashcraft are seemingly locked in as the Pirates’ 1-4 starters. After trading both Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo earlier this winter, the fifth and final rotation spot is up in the air. As of right now, there doesn’t seem to be a set answer, and the Pirates may end up going into Spring Training with multiple avenues they can take. Here is what they currently have at their disposal.
Carmen Mlodzinski
FanGraphs currently had Carmen Mlodzinski penciled in as the Pirates’ fifth starter for most of the offseason. The right-hander opened the year as part of the Pirates’ rotation, but struggled in nine starts. He pitched 39.2 innings out of the rotation, working to an unimpressive 5.67 ERA, 4.35 FIP, and 1.61 WHIP. While he had a quality 6.7% walk rate and 7.9% barrel rate, he only struck out 15.6% of batters, and had a 1.13 HR/9 ratio.
Mlodzinski was sent back to Triple-A, and recalled about a month later, returning to a long-relief/opener role. He thrived the rest of the year, working to the tune of a 2.12 ERA, 2.65 FIP, and 1.10 WHIP. He cut down his already low walk rate to 6.3%, and upped his strikeout percentage to 25.5%. He allowed just three home runs over his last 59.1 innings of work, with an outstanding 4.4% barrel percentage.
It doesn’t seem like the Pirates have ruled out using Mlodzinski as a starter once again. After a year of being used in a multi-inning role, and making nine starts, the right-hander may be more accustomed to going through a line-up at least twice. Even though he struggled last year, we may see the Pirates try Mlodzinski in the rotation one more time.
Jose Urquidy
The Pirates’ newest Major League signing could end up being their fifth starter. They recently inked veteran right-hander Jose Urquidy to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million. He strung together some solid seasons with the Houston Astros, pitching to a 3.71 ERA, 4.45 FIP, and a 1.09 WHIP over 301 innings from 2020 through 2022. Urquidy’s 19.8% K% may not jump off the page, but his 5.3% walk rate was the fifth lowest among pitchers who threw at least 300 innings between these three years. He was also prone to home runs, with a 1.50 HR/9 ratio and 9.7% barrel rate.
Issues began to set in during 2023. Urquidy only pitched 63 innings with the ‘Stros, struggling badly when he was able to take the mound. He had a 5.29 ERA with a 9.1% BB%, and 1.57 HR/9 ratio, and missed a large portion of the season with shoulder problems. Elbow problems then affected him in 2024, and he eventually underwent elbow surgery. The Astros then let Urquidy go that offseason, before signing a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. He only appeared in two Major League games with the Tigers, but pitched well over 21.2 innings in the minor leagues this year.
Urquidy will reunite with former Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy in Pittsburgh. He also reportedly comes with minor league options, so the Pirates don’t have to open the year with him on the 26-man roster. However, a strong Spring Training could at least put him in the conversation of making the roster in some role, even if it’s not as the Pirates’ fifth starter
Hunter Barco
Hunter Barco likely has the best chance of securing a rotation spot among the Pirates’ top prospects. The former second round pick made his MLB debut last season, and tossed three scoreless innings with three K’s. Barco spent most of his year in the minor leagues, working 99.1 innings between Altoona and Indianapolis. Between the two levels, the young left-hander owned a 2.81 ERA, with a 3.54 FIP, and 1.20 WHIP.
Barco also had some quality peripherals. He struck out 27.8% of batters with a 0.45 HR/9 ratio. The biggest downside to his game was his 11.8% walk rate. He induced a whiff nearly 30% of the time at Indianapolis, clocking in at 29.6%. Barco utilizes four different pitches, including a four-seam fastball, slider, splitter, and a cutter. While he isn’t a flamethrower, most of Barco’s offerings have above-average movement.
2026 will be Barco’s age-25 season, so he is more than old enough to be in the Major Leagues this year. Given how well he pitched in the minor leagues last year, and still ranks as a top 100 prospect on MLB Pipeline, Barco may have a legitimate chance to open the year in the Pirates’ rotation. The only downside is his 102 innings pitched last year is a career-high mark. However, Barco in the rotation means Mlodzinski would be in the bullpen, which would let the Pirates mitigate innings for some of their starters, including Barco.
Thomas Harrington
2025 was a down year for Thomas Harrington. The right-hander spent most of his campaign at Indy, where he owned a 5.34 ERA, 5.55 FIP, and 1.31 WHIP over 96 innings. While he had a respectable 21.7% K% and 8% BB%, leading to an above-average 13.7% K-BB%, Harrington was prone to the long ball. He allowed 1.88 home runs per nine innings. His brief MLB cameos also did not go well, as he allowed 15 earned runs in 8.2 innings.
However, Harrington entered 2025 as a consensus top 100 prospect. In 2024, he pitched to the tune of a 2.61 ERA, a 3.11 FIP, and 0.96 WHIP in 117.1 innings between Altoona and Indy. Harrington struck out just over a quarter of opponents with a 25.1% K%, and had an outstanding 4.1% walk rate. His BB% was the fourth lowest of any minor league pitcher who started at least 20 games. He was also far less prone to home runs, with a 0.69 HR/9 ratio.
After Harrington’s 2025, the Pirates will likely want to see him rediscover at least part of his 2024 self before throwing him into the Major Leagues again. Unless Harrington utterly dominates spring competition and forces the Pirates’ hand, the best thing for his development would likely be to get him back on track. Throwing him directly into an Opening Day rotation probably isn’t the best for that.
