If the Pittsburgh Pirates 2016 season were to begin tomorrow, their starting rotation would look a bit different from years past. With the loss of two starters this offseason, the Bucs have begun to rebuild their rotation. However, it might not hurt for the organization to work out a deal for one of two available right-handed arms.
With the Departures of A.J. Burnett and Charlie Morton, the projected Pirates rotation includes returning starters Gerrit Cole, Francisco Liriano and Jeff Locke. The team also acquired left-hander Jonathon Niese from the New York Mets, and signed 38-year-old Ryan Vogelsong to a one-year deal.
What the Pirates need at this point in the offseason is another free agent arm. Niese and Vogelsong could be solid back-of-the-rotation starters, but a middle-of-the-rotation starter should still remain a priority.
When I think of this specific need, two players come to mind as realistic options: Mat Latos and Justin Masterson. Both players would be different options for the Pirates, and I think that one option would be better suited with the organization and their needs than the other.
Like a lot of Pirates pitchers in the past few years, Justin Masterson would be considered another reclamation project for the Pirates and pitching coach Ray Searage. In eight major league seasons, Masterson has had highs and lows, with his best season coming in 2013 with the Cleveland Indians. That year, Masterson went 14-10 with a 3.45 ERA in 29 starts while posting a career-high three complete game shutouts and being named to the American League All-Star team for the first time. Since then, Masterson has struggled to get back to form. He spent the beginning of the 2014 season with the Indians, compiling a 4-6 record with a 5.51 ERA in 19 starts. Masterson was later dealt to the St Louis Cardinals at the annual trade deadline, but continued to struggle, posting a 7.04 ERA in nine appearances. Masterson returned to the Boston Red Sox last season, the team that originally drafted the 30-year-old right-hander. He posted a 4-2 record with a 5.61 ERA in nine starts and nine other appearances out of the Red Sox bullpen.
The Pirates have expressed interest in Masterson this offseason. He is now healthy following September shoulder surgery and is still relatively young. Like the recently departed Morton, Masterson is a ground ball pitcher who has had success getting groundball outs throughout his career. He is also a pitcher looking to rebuild his value and Searage is known to have had success helping pitchers return to form following rough seasons.
Mat Latos had one of his worst seasons as a major league pitcher in 2015, pitching for the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He posted his worst ERA since his rookie season in 2009 and failed to make an impact on any of his three ball clubs. In his previous six seasons, Latos was arguably one of the best pitchers in baseball while playing for the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds, posting a 60-45 record.
Despite his struggles, Latos seems like an interesting option for the Pirates, who have been one of a few teams linked to the 28-year-old right-hander this offseason. Latos is likely looking for a short-term deal to regain his value following his struggles in 2015. Prior to last year, Latos was a pitcher capable of pitching an abundance of innings in a single season and was able to show dominance at times. The Pirates could be a perfect fit for Latos to return to form and regain that dominance.
With the struggles they have endured, both Latos and Masterson could be considered reclamation projects, however, Latos may have a higher upside than Masterson. Latos is a much more established pitcher than Masterson and he is two years younger than him as well. With Vogelsong and Niese expected to be in the Pirates 2016 rotation, Latos may serve as a better number three starter option than Masterson as well. Both of these starters remain available options for the organization, however, I believe that the Pirates may find more value out of Latos.
