Pittsburgh Pirates Free Agent Target: Veteran Lefty Who Can Fill Multiple Bullpen Roles…
Seasoned left-handed reliever Brent Suter could cover a number of the gaps in the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen right now.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a strong bullpen core heading into the 2024 campaign. The Bucs have a solid core group that is led by David Bednar and Dauri Moreta and also includes Carmen Mlodzinski, Colin Holderman, and Ryan Borucki.
Still, this group needs left-handed assistance. Although Borucki pitched incredibly well the previous season, it was his only major league win. Therefore, it would be unwise to count on him to do so in 2024. Bailey Falter and Jose Hernandez may have an impact on the availability of left-handed relief pitchers.
The Pirates would greatly benefit from adding another dependable, high-leverage bullpen arm when the season gets underway. They might gain from adding one more trustworthy left-handed reliever. Veteran free agent Brent Suter might be able to meet these two requirements.
Suter is familiar with the NL Central. The Milwaukee Brewers were home to the 34-year-old southpaw for the first seven seasons of his MLB career. than pitched for the Colorado Rockies during the previous season. In 69.1 innings pitched, Suter had the following stats with the Rockies: 3.38 ERA, 3.44 FIP, 8.6% walk rate, 18.8% strikeout rate, and 0.39 HR/9.
With 464 innings pitched over his career, Suter has a 3.49 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 6.4% walk rate, and a 20.4% strikeout rate. Of the 253 games in which these 464 innings were pitched, 41 were started. Suter hasn’t been a consistent MLB starter outside of his role as an opener since 2018. 2016–2018 saw 34 of his 41 career starts.
Suter’s versatility as a pitcher makes him a valuable asset to the bullpen as well. Suter has the ability to close games after just one inning. Throughout his MLB career, he has also demonstrated the capacity to cover multiple innings when necessary.
The Pirates’ chances of adding any significant bullpen help over the remainder of the winter seem slim. Ben Cherington, the general manager, has even stated as much. Unfortunately, coming from a squad that doesn’t seem to be trying to win in 2024, this is not surprising.
Suter would be a valuable asset to the Pirate defense. Derek Shelton would have more options for what he could do with his group, and the group would gain a big shot in the arm from him. Regretfully, there is very little chance that the Pirates will add Suter.
