José

Urquidy

With Carmen Mlodsinski being named the fifth starter and both Jose Urquidy and Hunter Barco making the Opening Day roster, it seems like Clevinger may be the Pirates’ seventh or eighth starter right now. This spring, he allowed eight runs on 10 hits in 14 1/3 innings while striking out 15 and walking 10. He has pitched only 21 2/3 MLB innings since 2023.

On the plus side, Urquidy struck out four batters on the afternoon while issuing just one base on balls. All of the damage done against him came in the third inning, including a solo blast off the bat of Cedric Mullins. The 30-year-old hurler got two whiffs on 61 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of just 23 percent. He has had a rough time on the mound this spring, registering a 9.35 ERA and 1.73 WHIP across 8 2/3 innings. His spot in the Pirates’ rotation is likely safe for now, but if he continues to struggle the leash could be short.

The 30-year-old right-hander didn’t walk or strike out a batter in the contest. He struggled to keep the ball in the yard, serving up a long solo homer to Giancarlo Stanton in the second inning and another to Paul Dejong in the third. Urquidy got just one swing and miss on 36 pitches on the night, posting an uninspiring CSW of 22 percent. Despite his struggles this spring, he would appear to be locked into a spot in the Pirates’ Opening Day rotation, though he can probably be ignored for fantasy purposes.

It’s a nice bounceback for Urquidy after he struggled in his spring debut against Minnesota (three runs allowed in 1 1/3 innings). The right-hander is attempting to win one of the final spots in the Pittsburgh rotation, and this will certainly not hurt. Hunter Barco and Carmen Mlodzinski will have something to say about it, however.

Urquidy is probably the current favorite to open up as the Pirates’ fifth starter, but since the team has just $1.5 million invested here, he shouldn’t be promised anything. Hunter Barco and Carmen Mlodzinski both might be more intriguing options for Pittsburgh.

Urquidy couldn’t help the Tigers after returning from Tommy John surgery late last season, but the Pirates figure to give him a chance to win a rotation spot, with a role in middle relief also possible. The 30-year-old Urquidy has a 4.00 ERA in 70 starts and 11 relief appearances as a major leaguer. All but two of those outings came with the Astros from 2019-23.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that the contract will be for $1.5 million. After failing in their surprise pursuit of Framber Valdez, the Pirates will settle for his former rotation-mate instead. Urquidy missed most of the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, ultimately logging 2 1/3 innings with the Tigers in September. Urquidy looked sharp in the Mexican Winter League though and he should help to bring stability to the back end of the Pirates’ rotation.

Urquidy is 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA and a 28/6 K/BB in 26 innings so far this winter. It ought to be boosting his stock a bit as he looks for a rotation gig this winter. The 30-year-old became a free agent after the Tigers declined a $4 million option for 2026.

Urquidy returned from Tommy John surgery in September, but he didn’t show enough then to stick with the Tigers, who sent him down after he allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Urquidy was a successful starter for the Astros in 2022 and ’23, going 21-11 with a 3.81 ERA between the two seasons, but that was quite a while ago now. He might to sign a cheap deal with a non-contender if he wants to be assured of a rotation spot next season.

Urquidy had allowed two runs through 2 1/3 innings in his first two appearances back from Tommy John, and the Tigers decided he wasn’t ready to contribute just yet. The DFA in this case is technical, but it won’t result in him going on waivers; he’s being optioned and will immediately return to the 40-man roster, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.