North Shore Nine

It’s a headline made for Taste of Home magazine. Three starting pitchers who will stretch the budget so the Pirates can survive a 162-game season. This isn’t written to excuse the Pirates and their spending, but rather to acknowledge the constraints they have placed on themselves. Continuing to beat that into the ground can become exhausting and I’ve exhausted myself doing it.

I will note that there are some affordable options at the bottom of this free-agent class. I’d even say that some are more intriguing than the guys we’ve seen signed. Full disclosure here, I’m not doing a deep dive into the numbers for these guys. If that’s what you’re looking for you’d probably be reading a different blog anyhow.

1) Carlos Carrasco

Carrasco has had a litany of injuries. He’s 37 years old. He was really bad last year. That’s why he should be a Pirate. He doesn’t miss as many bats as he once did, but you could say that about nearly everyone who pitched for the Mets last year.

Numbers aside, Carrasco is a rock-solid clubhouse guy by all accounts. He’s been a front-end starter, he knows he’s in the twilight of his career. Personally, if I just spent a year in the hell hole they call New York, I’d be thrilled to be literally anywhere else. There’s a very good possibility he wants to go to a contender or retire as well. Spotrac has Carrasco’s market value at just under $7M.

2) James Paxton

It seems like I’ve heard more about Michael Lorenzen than I have Paxton. I’m not sure if it’s due to the familiarity with Lorenzen or if there isn’t interest. Either way, Lorenzen makes me want to puke, but Paxton doesn’t. Compensation-wise, I would imagine they’re in the same ballpark. Paxton is older and has injury concerns, but the velocity is still there and he still misses bats. Lorenzen, on the other hand, eats some crappy innings and has extremely limited upside. Just give me the damn upside.

3. Alex Wood

Wood is coming off a horrific season. He had a strange role with the Giants. He started, went to the bullpen, was used after openers, they used him as a long reliever. Sound familiar? Part of his usage was self-inflicted. His numbers were really bad in 2022. The peripherals were there, but it’s about results. He should come pretty cheap and the Pirates are a decent bounce-back spot. He would certainly get some starts.

Will the Pirates get any of these guys? Probably not. Carrasco will probably retire, Paxton will probably go back to the Red Sox and Wood seems to enjoy the west coast. Maybe that’s for the best because I’m a big ol’ dummy.