Pirates Could Pursue Mets' Risky Star Pitcher
The Pittsburgh Pirates may have one of the most electrifying young pitchers we have seen in quite some time in Paul Skenes, but they could also use some veteran depth in their starting rotation.
The Pirates are not known for being big spenders, as evidenced by the fact that they rank No. 29 in MLB in payroll, but there should be some affordable options available to them in free agency.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic has identified a potential target for Pittsburgh, citing New York Mets right-hander Luis Severino as a possibility.
"Luis Severino had a strong comeback season, making more than 30 starts for the first time since 2018," Bowden wrote. "He went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA over 31 starts and struck out 161 in 182 innings. The two-time All-Star also was solid in the postseason (3.24 ERA in 16 2/3 innings), which can only increase interest in free agency."
There is no doubt that Severino was impressive in 2024, but the question surrounding the two-time All-Star is whether or not he can stay healthy.
Severino entered the big leagues with the New York Yankees back in 2015 and made back-to-back All-Star trips in 2017 and 2018, but from 2019 through 2021, the Dominican native made a grand total of seven appearances.
He then pitched in 19 games in both 2022 and 2023, and he struggled mightily with a 6.85 ERA in the latter campaign.
So, yes: Severino did just enjoy a terrific bounceback year, but if the Pirates are going to express interest in him this winter, they should approach the situation with extreme caution, especially for an organization that does not exactly have the best financial resources.
Plus, Pittsburgh has other roster holes that it needs to address as well, so sinking too much money into Severino could prove problematic.
