All the hype around the Pirates this offseason has started to become true, as they have just made a deal to acquire Brandon Lowe in a three-team trade. To get a star like Lowe, they had to give up Mike Burrows, a young, controllable starting pitcher with upside.
Pittsburgh has now traded two major league starting pitchers to upgrade the Pirates’ offense. Along with Burrows, they also dealt Johan Oviedo for Jhostynxon Garcia. There is still a chance the Pirates trade another pitching prospect this offseason.
The effort to address the offense has come at the expense of the Pirates’ pitching surplus, creating a clear risk for 2026. Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller are the only starters in the rotation that have pitched a full season in the big leagues. Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, and Hunter Barco have not and they still need to be stretched out to reach a major league workload.
In 2025, Chandler tossed 131.1 innings, Ashcraft pitched 118, and Barco threw 102.1. For each of them, that was the most innings thrown in a single season. While all three are expected to make big impacts out of the rotation, they may get fatigued during the season with their biggest workload yet. To solve that, the Pirates could add to their group with a veteran depth option.
Carmen Mlodzinski could definitely be an option for a spot start, but he struggled in 2025 when he’d go through the lineup a second or third time. He was much more effective out of the bullpen and could even be in the mix for a closer job.
One player that would make a lot of sense for what the Pirates need would be Sean Newcomb. The veteran left-hander was used both as a starter and out of the bullpen last year, making him a perfect fit for Pittsburgh. Last season, Newcomb tossed 92.1 innings and posted a 2.73 ERA with a 3.04 FIP. He was very effective in that split role with Boston and the Athletics.
Adding him on a cheap, one-year deal couldn’t hurt. If the expected starting five can all make it through the season with Jared Jones returning in the summer, then Newcomb could be a reliable reliever in the bullpen. His role as a low-leverage two inning guy would be great for this team with the worst scenario being him making a spot start.
While pitching didn’t seem like a big need this offseason, the trades for bats have opened the door to add veteran arms. A solid inning eater could do a lot for this team and Newcomb is the perfect candidate. This shouldn’t prevent them from adding another bat in free agency either. With the strong core the Pirates have, adding Newcomb and another bat could be the finishing touches to a roster on the verge of competing.
