Perrotto: One Other Free Agent Pirates Should Consider Retaining (+)
A sure sign of having a young team, the Pittsburgh Pirates had just three players file for free agency.
Left-hander Jarlín García was set free when the Pirates declined his $3.5-million club option for 2024 on Saturday. He joins right-hander Vince Velasquez and designated hitter Andrew McCutchen on the open market and teams can begin to negotiate with free agents beginning at 5 p.m. Monday.
There is little question about the Pirates re-signing McCutchen. The franchise icon wants to stay in Pittsburgh and Bob Nutting, Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton want him back.
Unless the Pirates make an insulting low-ball contract offer, McCutchen will return.
García probably won’t be back following a lost 2023 season in which he never pitched because of a nerve issue in his left biceps. That was too bad for García, who is a wonderful guy and was beloved by his teammates and the coaching staff.
It will be interesting to see what the Pirates do with Velasquez, though, after signing him to a one-year, $4-million contract in free agency last winter. Velasquez was limited to eight starts this past season before undergoing season-ending elbow surgery.
Velasquez is hopeful of being able to pitch by no later than the All-Star break next season. He had internal brace surgery, which has a faster recovery time than a Tommy John ligament replacement operation.
Cherington always plays things close to the vest, so it’s unknown if the general manager has any interest in re-signing Velasquez. However, the 31-year-old wants to come back.
“I would love to be part of this squad next year,” Velasquez said late in the season.
Velasquez was solid for the Pirates in those eight starts, going 4-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 37.1 innings.
He was very effective during a four-start stretch in April in which he went 4-0 with a 1.08 ERA. He allowed runs in only one of those four outings.
Velasquez is convinced he would have had a good season and was ready to finally live up to the potential scouts have raved about for years. His career record is just 38-51 in nine seasons.
“I’ve never felt more comfortable in working with (pitching coach) Oscar Marin, working with analytical guys, just the entire team,” Velasquez said. “It felt homey. I felt like I belonged. So, I’d like to come back to the Pirates and come back with a bang.”
Velasquez was an integral part of the Pirates’ 20-8 start this past season. Though they then struggled, the Pirates won 18 of their last 31 games to finish 76-86, which was a 14-win improvement over 2022.
The Pirates’ late surge was fueled by many young players and Velasquez believes it was not a fluke.
“I think this is definitely going to be a big turnaround for us these next couple of years,” Velasquez said. “I think my optimism is very high that this team can do some damage over the next few years, and I want to be a part of it.”
The Pirates’ lack of starting pitching depth has been well-documented and improving it is Cherington’s top offseason priority.
Meanwhile, Velasquez doesn’t figure to try to break the bank coming off such an abbreviated season. He also seemed ready to finally blossom this year.
It would certainly be worth taking a low-risk, high-reward shot with an incentive-laden contract offer to see if Velasquez could provide a boost to the Pirates in the second half of 2024.
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