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Apr 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Ryne Stanek (55) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Pirates Could Land Free Agent Reliever

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Jan 7, 2026 9:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates had a strong bullpen last season, but are still looking for options in free agency.

The Pirates already signed veteran left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal on Dec. 15. They also added another left-handed relief pitcher in Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays in the three-team trade with the Houston Astros on Dec. 19.

Pittsburgh already has a strong rotation, with the likes of National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes, veteran Mitch Keller and rookies like Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, plus Hunter Barco looking for a spot.

One name the Pirates may go after is right-handed pitcher Ryne Stanek, who MLB.com reported is drawing interest from most teams in the NL Central Division.

Why Ryne Stanek Makes Sense for the Pirates

The Pirates hired Bill Murphy as their new pitching coach, who previously served as a pitching coach with the Astros the past five seasons.

Stanek had his best seasons with the Astros from 2021-23, which is also the longest he's spent with one MLB team.

Stat	Total
Record	8-7
Appearances	186
ERA	2.90
Innings Pitched	173.2
Strikeouts/Walks	196/89
WHIP	1.23

Stanek had his best campaign in 2022, with a 1.15 ERA over 59 appearances and 54.2 innings pitched, plus a .188 batting average allowed and a 1.23 WHIP.

That season also saw the Astros win the World Series, with Stanek amongst a number of great pitchers, who led the American League in both ERA (2.90), shutouts (18), WHIP (1.09) and BAA (.212).

Stanek has struggled in recent seasons since leaving Houston, but a reunion with Murphy might get him back on track and a valuable arm for Pittsburgh this season, one they're trying to compete for the playoffs.

Looking at Stanek's Recent Struggles

He signed with the Seattle Mariners on a one-year, $4 million deal ahead of the 2024 season, then they traded him to the New York Mets at the deadline. He would spend the 2025 season with the Mets, signing a one-year, $4.5 million deal.

Stanek saw his ERA and WHIP rise during these past two seasons and he's performed poorly compared to his time in Houston.

Stat	Total
Record	11-9
Appearances	128
ERA	5.09
Innings Pitched	111.0
Strikeouts/Walks	125/57
WHIP	1.45
Saves/Opportunities	10/20

One of the biggest reasons for this is his fastball becoming more ineffective each season since 2022.

Stanek's main pitch is a four-seam fastball, which averages around 98 mph and is his main pitch. He has maintained that speed, but opposing batters have dealt with the pitch better and he's become a worse pitcher for it.

Season	BAA	Run Value
2022	.168	+9
2023	.216	+6
2024	.231	+2
2025	.268	+2

He also had issues with his split-finger fastball, regularly sitting around a .200 BAA the previous three seasons, it went up to a .333 AAA in 2025.

Stanek was better with his slider, getting down to a .189 BAA, and his sweeper wasn't terrible in its first season at around .250, but he must get his fastball back to where its dominance was.

Pirates Bullpen Outlook for 2026

The Pirates have a great list of returners from their bullpen in 2025 that should make the 2026 bullpen another strong one.

Pittsburgh has some great right-handed relief pitchers in the likes of Justin Lawrence, Issac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzinski and Dennis Santana.

The Pirates also have right-handed pitchers that featured last season and are on the 40-man roster in Kyle Nicolas, Yohan Ramírez, Cam Sanders and Chase Shugart.

Other names that could feature for the Pirates, include prospects in right-handers Brandon Bidois, Wilber Dotel, Ryan Harbin and Antwone Kelly, who they protected from the Rule 5 Draft.

Thomas Harrington struggled at the major league level in 2025, but could also feature for the Pirates next season.

Evan Sisk is one of three left-handed relief pitchers on the 40-man roster and one of four alongside Barco.

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

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