The Pittsburgh Pirates have several needs to address this offseason. One area the team must look at over the winter months is how to improve the starting rotation.

That’s not to say that the rotation is in trouble, but Pittsburgh could certainly benefit from another veteran in the group, and preferably a left-hander, too, to add a different look between Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft

One pitcher who would be a solid fit for this current group and checks all the boxes mentioned earlier is left-hander Robbie Ray.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic predicted that Ray would sign a two-year, $45 million deal this offseason, which Pittsburgh should be able to afford if it remains committed to spending money and competing for a postseason spot in 2027.

Ray has quietly been one of baseball’s best pitchers over the last half-decade. He won the Cy Young Award in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays, but unfortunately had to undergo Tommy Johny surgery after signing with the Seattle Mariners.

At this point in Ray’s career, he could be a great piece to not only add to the rotation, but also have in the locker room to mentor a still young and inexperienced pitching staff.

There are few risks in signing Ray to a short-term deal.

The 35-year-old has bounced back from his elbow surgery to be a very solid pitcher over the last two seasons with the San Francisco Giants and then the San Diego Padres.

Ray has pitched in 63 games over the last two seasons with a 3.62 ERA and 1.279 WHIP, including a 22.4% strikeout rate and a 10% walk rate.

As Bowden noted in his article, Ray is far from being the Cy Young pitcher he was five years ago. However, he’s still posted numbers that clearly make him good enough to be in the middle of a big-league rotation.

Other left-handed starters on the open market include Foster Griffin and Trevor Rogers, but Ray brings a pedigree that few other free agents have,

Given Pittsburgh’s needs, Ray would be the best fit for the Pirates pitching staff for 2027.

With the new league year officially starting, all attention has turned to whether or not the Pirates will offer Branon Lowe the qualifying offer. It’s a move the front office should make, but they have until Monday to officially extend Lowe's contract.