Griffin is in his first year back in the major leagues after three years playing for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Baseball League (NBL) in Japan and is one of the more underrated pitchers in baseball.<\/p>\n
He pitched in the Nationals rotation this year, but the Pirates, who need bullpen help<\/a> more than another starter, could find a role for him on their staff.<\/p>\n Why Griffin Makes Sense for the Pirates<\/p>\n The Pirates currently only have two left-handed pitchers on their staff, both relievers, in Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto.<\/p>\n Evan Sisk<\/a> just went on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation and rookie Hunter Barco, who was with Triple-A Indianapolis, is on the 7-day injured list himself.<\/p>\n Griffin would add southpaw depth to the Pirates, who are almost entirely right-handed, and give them better options either out of the bullpen, or even as a starter.<\/p>\n Jun 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Foster Griffin (22) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The Pirates rotation currently has five right-handers in Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, which isn’t too uncommon, but it can make them susceptible to heavy left-handed batting lineups.<\/p>\n Griffin has excelled with the Nationals this season, posting a 9-2 record across 18 starts, a 2.87 ERA over 103.1 innings pitched, 100 strikeouts to 26 walks, a .210 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.04 WHIP.<\/p>\n He ranks amongst the best pitchers in baseball this season, with the 11th-lowest BAA, 12th-lowest WHIP, 14th-lowest ERA, tied 15th-best K\/BB (3.85), tied 18th-most innings pitched and 18th-lowest BB\/9 (2.26).<\/p>\n Griffin has given up just five earned runs over his last six starts since the beginning of June, which includes just one run against the Pirates at Nationals Park on July 3 in a 9-5 win at home. <\/p>\n The Pirates actually scored the second-most runs against Griffin in a start this season, four runs over 5.1 innings in an 8-7 loss in extra innings at PNC Park on April 16.<\/p>\n Griffin is also on contract for the rest of the season and won’t come as much of a high price as a pitcher with years of team control.<\/p>\n The Pirates need better consistency from their rotation and Griffin could bring that for them in 2026.<\/p>\n Griffin could also work if the Pirates use a spot starter<\/a>, where a reliever comes in early and then he would take on a bulk relief role against a more heavy left-handed lineup, posting a .153 BAA and a 0.74 WHIP against them in 2026.<\/p>\n The Pirates wouldn’t mind seeing Griffin throw his seven-pitch arsenal and his impressive cutter, which he has the best run value, +9 per Statcast, of any cutter in baseball this season.<\/p>\n Would the Pirates Actually Trade for Griffin?<\/p>\n The Pirates seem pretty set with their rotation, flaws and all, with one of the best pitchers in baseball in Skenes, an All-Star snub<\/a> in Ashcraft, a veteran in Keller, a promising rookie in Chandler and a pitcher working back from a serious injury in Jones<\/p>\n Pittsburgh would much rather put their attention towards addressing the bullpen and adding a closer<\/a> or another high-leverage option, such as a reunion with Aroldis Chapman<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jun 18, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n The Nationals are also still in the race for the National League Wild Card <\/a>at 47-45 and if they stay in it the rest of the month, it’s unlikely they would trade away their best starting pitcher.<\/p>\n Other teams that McDaniel and Passan listed are more desperate for rotation help as well, such as the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres, and would be willing to part for better players than the Pirates likely would.<\/p>\n Griffin is an interesting name for the Pirates, but their efforts will most likely go towards the closer role and hope that their bullpen finds more consistency the rest of the season. <\/p>\n![\"Washington](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwygbc14znqapvvqec.jpg\" "\\"Washington")
<\/p>\n![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/01kwyhjzj7nn7d709ps0.jpg\" "\\"Boston")
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