The Pittsburgh Pirates’ focus throughout the offseason has been adding more hitting, and general manager Ben Cherington has improved an offense that was last in the major leagues in runs scored last season.

First baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn and second baseman Brandon Lowe were All-Stars last year and should add some needed left-handed power. Switch-hitting outfielder Jake Mangum should also help.

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Starting pitching is clearly the Pirates’ strength, though, as pitchers and catchers get set to begin spring training workouts on Wednesday in Bradenton, Fla. Reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes leads a rotation that includes veteran Mitch Keller and youngsters Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler.

However, there should be an interesting battle for the fifth and final starter’s job. Pittsburgh added to the competition this past week by signing two veteran right-handers as free agents, Jose Urquidy to a one-year, $1.5-million contract and Mike Clevinger to a minor-league deal. Internal options include left-hander Hunter Barco and right-handers Thomas Harrington and Carmen Mlodzinski.

Urquidy, 30, has made just two relief appearances in the major leagues over the last two seasons. However, he is coming off a strong winter ball season in his native Mexico, in which he had a 3-1 record and 1.36 ERA in six starts.

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Clevinger spent most of last season with the Chicago White Sox’s Triple-A Charlotte farm club, going 7-3 with a 4.20 ERA in 22 starts. The 35-year-old hasn’t pitched a full season in the majors since 2023, but was a respectable 9-9 with a 3.84 ERA in 24 starts that year.

Barco, 25, made his MLB debut last September with the Pirates and pitched three scoreless innings in two relief appearances. That came after he was 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 27 games with Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona. Baseball America ranks Barco as the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect.

Harrington’s stock has fallen sharply as Baseball America ranks him as Pittsburgh’s 18th-best prospect after rating him as No. 74 in all baseball prior to last season. Harrington, 24, was tagged for 15 runs in 8 2/3 innings in three games during his first taste of the major leagues in 2024. With Indianapolis, he was 7-9 with a 5.34 ERA in 21 games.

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Mlodzinski, 26, began last season as a starter but was moved to the bullpen after going 1-4 with a 4.99 ERA in 12 games. Mlodzinski had a 2.15 ERA in 22 games in relief, and his career ERA out of the bullpen is 2.71 in 92 appearances.

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