The Pirates traded starting pitcher Luis Ortiz and two other pitching prospects on Tuesday night for possible starting first baseman Spencer Horwitz from the Cleveland Guardians.
And, more starting pitchers could be on their way out too.
According to Pirates beat reporters Noah Hiles and Andrew Destin, of the Post-Gazette, both Mitch Keller and Jared Jones are arms that could be available to deal.
Keller is going into the second of a five-year extension he signed last year worth $77 million. He went 11-12 last season with a 4.25 ERA in 2024 over 31 starts.
Hiles and Destin report that dealing Keller “would be to trim payroll while also upgrading other areas on the roster.”
That upgrade would come in the form of a young bat.
Spotrac says Jones is set to make an estimated $800,000 in 2025 and will go into his first year of arbitration in 2027.
Jones went 6-8 last season over 22 starts with an ERA of 4.14.
The 23-year-old rookie got off to a hot start before going onto the injured list on July 4 last season.
He wasn’t the same in the second half, struggling to duplicate the success he had before his injury.
The PG writers also say the Pirates plan to build up their 2025 roster through trades and less through “splash free agent signings.”