In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
The first few months of the offseason has been incredibly quiet in terms of actual moves for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Most of the talk has surrounded Andrew McCutchen trade discussions and the weak starting pitching market in all of baseball.
A Move Was Made
But wait, the Pittsburgh Pirates actually made a notable move. Yesterday the club inked right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson to a two-year, $11 million contract.
We previously profiled Hudson as a hot stove target, and clearly the club felt that his velocity – which Hudson retained even after two Tommy John surgeries – and strong finish to 2016 could result in a spark for a relief unit that needs to get back to its dominant ways.
We ran some twitter polls to see how the fan base felt about the move, and how they may see the bullpen shaping up going forward. Here they are, and we would love it if you would vote as well.
Your initial reaction to the Daniel Hudson signing:
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) December 19, 2016
Which Lefty will the #Pirates trade?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) December 19, 2016
Still Need A Start Though
Though many of the top starters including Rich Hill and Edinson Volquez are off the market, Ivan Nova, who spent the second half of 2016 in Pittsburgh, still remains available. Though we haven’t heard much about Nova lately, this might change.
According to Robert Murray of Fanragsports.com, league sources have indicated that the market for Ivan Nova is heating up. Nova has received offers already, but teams, including the Pirates, are reportedly still engaged.
Nova, who went 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 11 starts with the Pirates, is now considered the top free agent pitcher available, according to Murray. The 29-year old also compiled 52 strikeouts and three walks in 64.2 innings, while throwing three complete games.
According to MLB Trade Rumors list of Top 50 Free Agents released in November, Nova was predicted to be signed to a 4-year deal worth $52 million. Based on the fact that both Hill and Volquez received contracts for less, Nova may be bound for signing a contract of lesser length and value.
Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington has been very adamant about the team’s intentions of trying to sign the veteran right-hander and I think there is a legitimate possibility that they could actually afford him.
The Pirates desperately need a veteran arm to mix in with the young nucleus of starters that will take the mound for the team in 2017. The fact that Hill and Volquez were signed to lesser deals may mean that the Pirates still do have a serious opportunity to bring Nova back. However, they might have to be willing to sign him to a deal that could be similar to the 3-year, $39 million contract that Francisco Liriano signed in 2014.
This all should please Pirates fans, but only time will tell whether or not Nova indeed returns to play his home games at PNC Park next season.
In my opinion, since the Bucs haven’t done much this offseason, I believe they should try to go all in and sign Nova. The Bucs know what they can expect from him and he would be a nice fit as a veteran starter in the Pirates young rotation.
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Baseball Talk on the Web
- Andrea Peyser of the New York Post took a look at how political correctness has plagued the MLB.
- CBS Sports provided a cheat sheet on possible trade targets for MLB teams still looking to fill needs and talked about why MLB players are not actually overpaid.
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