Photo provided by Matt Lynch
The Pittsburgh Pirates have already traded one starting pitcher this offseason. Johan Oviedo was dealt to the Boston Red Sox in a five-player swap that netted outfielder Jhostynxon García and a pitching prospect.
But the Pirates, in their attempts to add to the lineup, are willing to dip back into their starting pitching depth to land a bat. So much so that they’re even willing to move top prospect Bubba Chandler or right-hander Jared Jones for a “huge haul,” according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Chandler is currently ranked as the second-best pitching prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and made his Major League debut with the Pirates in 2025. In seven appearances/four starts, the 23-year-old went 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA, one save and 31 strikeouts in 31.1 innings.
Jones, meanwhile missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing right elbow surgery in May. The 24-year-old totaled 22 starts during his rookie season with the Pirates in 2024 and went 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA and 132 strikeouts in 121.2 innings.
It’s hard to envision the Pirates moving either pitcher unless in a deal for someone like Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte, who reportedly has Pittsburgh as one of the teams on his partial no-trade list.
If the Pirates move another starting pitcher, their preference would be Mitch Keller or Mike Burrows, rival executives told Rosenthal and Sammon.
Keller has generated interest going back to the trade deadline when the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets were among the reported teams with interest. The seven-year veteran went 6-15 with a 4.19 ERA across 32 starts, which matched a career-high.
Moving Keller would provide the Pirates with further financial flexibility. He’s still owed roughly $55 million through the next three seasons after signing a five-year extension two years ago.
Burrows made 23 appearances, 19 of which were starts, with the Pirates last year and went 2-4 with a 3.94 ERA.
Among the players the Pirates have been linked to in trades are the New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan. Pittsburgh is active on the trade market, so there are other players they’ve at least checked in on.
Mentioned in this article: Bubba Chandler Jared Jones Pittsburgh Pirates
More about: Pirates