Pirates Named Dark Horse for Free Agent Pitcher

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need to make improvements to their roster ahead of the 2026 season and one pitcher could do just that.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report wrote about 25 top free agents and one dark horse suitor for each player this offseason. He picked the Pirates as a dark-horse suitor for Texas Rangers free agent right-handed starting pitcher Merrill Kelly.

"Pittsburgh signed Andrew Heaney this past winter, Martín Pérez the previous year, Rich Hill in the 2022-23 offseason and Jose Quintana the year before that," Miller wrote. "Kelly might be out of their price range, a cut above where those former Pirates were at in their careers when they signed those deals. But getting a veteran starting pitcher on an affordable, one-year deal is something this team tries to do every winter."

While Miller is correct that the Pirates have gone after those pitchers, all of them were left-handed and Kelly is not.

Still, Kelly is a veteran pitcher, who will be 37 years old next season, but has still put up good campaigns in recent years.

Kelly spent seven seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2019-25, with a 62-50 record in 162 starts, a 3.74 ERA over 953.0 innings pitched, 865 strikeouts to 290 walks and a 1.19 WHIP.

His best seasons came in 2022 and 2023, where he posted a 3.37 ERA and a 3.29 ERA, respectively.

Kelly began his 2022 season with a 15 inning scoreless streak, just three innings off the Diamondbacks record.

He also won National League Pitcher of the Month in July, with a 4-0 record over six starts, a 1.31 ERA over 41.1 innings pitched, 33 strikeouts to eight walks, a .168 opposing batting average and a 0.77 WHIP. This conicided with him winning NL Pitcher of the Week honors for July 25-31, where he posted back-to-back three hit scoreless outings over the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves.

Kelly also has postseason experience, starting four games in 2023 and finishing with a 3-1 record, a 2.25 ERA over 24.0 innings pitched, 28 strikeouts to eight walks, a .145 opposing batting average and a 0.83 WHIP.