Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Right-hander Mitch Keller and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a five-year, $77 million contract extension on Thursday, according to sources. After a breakout season in which he struck out a career-high 210 batters, the 27-year-old Keller will anchor Pittsburgh's starting rotation for the team that drafted him in the second round in 2014 out of high school. The new deal will buy out what would have been Keller's first two years of free agency. In addition to his career-best 210 punchouts last year, Keller went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 55 walks in 194 1/3 innings over a career-high 32 starts to garner his first All-Star nod. He was solid in the first half but fell apart after the All-Star break with a 5.59 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 13 starts down the stretch. Still, he upped his strikeout rate and isn't a bad No. 4 rotation option for fantasy managers with upside late in drafts.

San Francisco Giants catcher Joey Bart, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft, appears unlikely to make the team's Opening Day roster out of spring training and is out of minor-league options. As a result, it makes him a candidate to be traded or dropped from the 40-man roster in late March. The 27-year-old backstop has hit a disappointing .219/.288/.335 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI and 178 strikeouts in 162 games played for the Gigantes in four seasons since making his big-league debut in 2020. He dealt with a groin injury last year and played in only 30 games, hitting .207 in 95 trips to the plate. Patrick Bailey took over the starting duties behind the dish in 2023, and Tom Murphy was brought in over the winter to serve as his backup. Bart's dynasty/keeper appeal is waning, but perhaps a change of scenery will do him some good.

With San Francisco Giants right-hander Keaton Winn (elbow) dealing with elbow soreness in camp, it's possible that pitchers Spencer Howard or Daulton Jefferies could make the club's Opening Day roster as starting rotation options. Howard, 27, and Jefferies, 28, are both in camp this year as non-roster invites for the Giants. Howard hasn't had success so far in 38 big-league outings (29 starts) over four seasons, posting a rough 7.20 ERA and 1.67 WHIP with 55 walks and 109 K's in 115 innings. Jefferies, meanwhile, is attempting to return in 2024 after his second Tommy John surgery. In his three years with the Oakland Athletics, the right-hander went 2-8 with a 5.75 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 14 walks and 37 K's in 56 1/3 innings over 14 appearances (10 starts). The Giants could be in trouble early on if they're relying on Howard or Jefferies in their rotation.

The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on Monday and placed right-hander JT Brubaker (elbow) on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move to make room on the 40-man roster for Smith-Njigba. The Mariners had claimed Smith-Njigba off waivers from the Pirates, so he'll be returning to Pittsburgh for the start of the 2024 season. The 24-year-old is most likely to begin the year at Triple-A Indianapolis if he sticks with the team. In just 18 big-league games for the Bucs the last two years, he has gone 5-for-37 (.135) with no homers, five RBI and one steal. Brubaker, 30, is unlikely to pitch until the second half of the season in 2024 after having Tommy John surgery last year.

The Seattle Mariners have claimed right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. To create room on the 40-man roster, outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba was designated for assignment. Adding Stoudt to the team is a noteworthy move for the Mariners. Seattle originally drafted him in the third round of the 2019 MLB Draft before shipping him to Cincinnati in the Luis Castillo trade. Now 26, Stoudt struggled between the bullpen and rotation last year, allowing 11 runs over 10+ innings of work. Perhaps a return to the Mariners is exactly what the doctor ordered, though even if he does make the Opening Day roster, he'll remain off the fantasy radar. The same goes for Smith-Njigba, whose status is now in limbo. The outfielder spent less than two weeks in the Mariners' organization and went just 4-for-32 with 16 strikeouts while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. It's possible that another team with an open 40-man roster spot could take a chance on him via trade or waiver claim.