Pirates agree to deal with playoff-tested veteran Urquidy (source)

The Pirates are adding a playoff-tested arm to their rotation, agreeing to a one-year free-agent deal worth $1.5 million with right-hander José Urquidy, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on Thursday. The club has not confirmed the deal, which also includes incentives, per a source.

The Bucs were known to be in the market for another arm, and had made known their interest in top left-hander Framber Valdez, who ended up agreeing to a deal with the Tigers on Wednesday. Urquidy does not come with the same pedigree as Valdez, but he was a member of the same rotation that won a World Series with the Astros in 2022.

The 30-year-old right-hander made two appearances for the Tigers last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, but he saw much of his big league success in Houston from 2019-22. In that span, he pitched to a 3.74 ERA over 60 starts with 281 strikeouts.

Urquidy has made 15 postseason appearances (eight starts) with a 4.08 ERA. He brings a veteran presence to a Pirates staff fronted by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and that features other promising young arms like Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones.

The Pirates have had a busy offseason improving their lineup, but this is the first addition they've made to the rotation. Urquidy profiles as a back-end starter, but he has experience pitching in relief as well, with 11 career appearances out of the bullpen. Pittsburgh traded starter Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox earlier this winter, and a healthy Urquidy could slot into that spot.

Aside from bolstering their offense by signing Ryan O'Hearn and trading for Brandon Lowe, the Pirates have also added to their bullpen with relievers Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery.