Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Zack Littell (52) circles back to the mound between pitches in the third inning of the MLB National League Wild Card Game 2 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. The Reds were eliminated from the postseason with an 8-4 loss to the reining World Series Champions La Dodgers. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Key Free Agent Pitcher Pirates Are Sleeping On

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 5:00 PM ET

After playing ten games for a division rival last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates must keep an eye on Zack Littell.

Littell, 30, just put up career highs in starts (32) and innings pitched (186 2/3). Knowing that, he should immediately be on the Pirates' radar.

If they're looking for that extra starter or someone to come in and eat up innings, Littell is that guy. He's not going to break the bank, and would easily be worth $10 million if he comes in and does his job.

The Athletics' Jim Bowden projects that to be the contract he signs, so it'd be silly for the Pirates to pass on him knowing they're in the market for another arm.

Littell Would Be Worth Every Penny

No team can ever have enough pitchers, and that's exactly why Littell made MLB.com's list of free agents who are "better than you think."

Jared Greenspan wrote, "Littell’s renaissance began in 2023, when the Rays helped turn him into one of the more remarkable midseason waiver claims in recent history. He hasn’t looked back since, becoming a reliable workhorse at a time when starting pitchers are throwing fewer innings and teams are constantly testing their starting pitching depth."

"Over the past two seasons, only 20 pitchers have started more games than Littell, who has made 61 starts in that span between the Rays and the Reds," he added. "He completed six innings in 20 of his starts last season, something that only 13 other starting pitchers accomplished."

Greenspan notes his walk rate (4.2%) was teh lowest among qualified starting pitchers. The Pirates can't bring him in thinking he can throw 100 mph or strike out every batter he faces, but he's a quality contact guy that tends to get outs much quicker than others.

Additional Starting Pitching Depth

In the past two seasons, Littell has started every game he's pitched in. That wasn't always the case in his career as a few years ago (2021) he started just two of the 63 games he appeared in.

Last year, Littell went 2-0 with the Reds after an 8-8 start in Tampa. He has a career 34-29 record, though keep in mind he wasn't moved to a starting role until 2023. Either way, his 3.88 ERA looks great on paper and even with a low K%, he still has 496 strikeouts to just 135 walks. When it comes to reliable, relatively cheap starting pitchers, it won't get much better than this.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: