For a brief moment, Pirates fans allowed themselves to dream. Reports surfaced linking Pittsburgh to Framber Valdez - the top-tier lefty still on the free-agent market - and for a few beats, it felt like the Pirates might actually swing big. That maybe, just maybe, something was shifting in the way this franchise approached roster building.
But then the familiar rhythm returned.
Valdez signed with the Detroit Tigers, and within a day, the Pirates had pivoted to José Urquidy - a name that, while not without intrigue, lands with far less impact. And just like that, hope gave way to a move that feels all too familiar in Pittsburgh: low-risk, low-cost, and low on immediate expectations.
Let’s be clear: Urquidy isn’t a bad pitcher. In fact, there’s a version of this signing that makes sense for a team looking to round out its rotation with a veteran presence. But in the context of what could’ve been - a legitimate push for a front-line arm - this move feels like a step back into the shallow end after peeking over the edge of the deep one.
Urquidy, 31, is coming off a year that was more about recovery than results. After undergoing Tommy John surgery, he spent most of 2025 rehabbing and made just two relief appearances for the Tigers in September - one solid, one forgettable.
Detroit had signed him knowing 2025 would be a rehab year, with eyes on 2026. But they declined his option before he ever got a real shot to show what he could still do.
Now, Pittsburgh takes the flyer.
The deal’s details haven’t been made public, but it’s safe to assume it’s a low-commitment contract - the kind the Pirates have made a habit of handing out. For the front office, it checks all the internal boxes: he’s a veteran with postseason experience, he adds depth to a rotation that needs it, and he doesn’t tie up payroll flexibility.
If he rebounds, great. If not, no harm done.
There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. Reports suggest Urquidy’s velocity is back to pre-injury levels.
In his limited September action, he kept hard contact to a minimum. There’s a world where he settles in as a steady mid-rotation arm - maybe even better if everything clicks.
But that’s not really what this is about.
This move comes on the heels of something far more ambitious. The Pirates were reportedly “aggressively pursuing” Valdez - not just checking in, not just monitoring.
That kind of language raised eyebrows and hopes. It suggested a team ready to take a leap, to invest in a difference-maker, to signal that the rebuild is ready to turn the corner.
And then… Urquidy.
That’s the emotional whiplash Pirates fans know all too well. It’s not just about missing out on Valdez - that happens in free agency.
It’s about the tease, the suggestion of a bold new direction, followed by the familiar pivot to something safe and inexpensive. It’s the rollercoaster of expectation and letdown that’s become part of the Pittsburgh baseball experience.
Urquidy might very well help this team. He’s pitched in big games.
He’s shown flashes of being more than just a depth piece. But this signing doesn’t move the needle in the way a Valdez deal would have.
It doesn’t change the narrative. It reinforces it.
For a few minutes, the Pirates flirted with a bold move. Then they did what they’ve always done - hedged their bets, played it safe, and asked fans to trust the process one more time.