The Pirates are continuing to add to their pitching depth options for this spring, as they are in agreement for a minor-league deal with veteran Tyler Chatwood, per source.
The deal is pending a physical.
Chatwood, 33, is returning stateside after spending a year pitching for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan last season. He went 2-0 with a 2.59 ERA over 24 1/3 innings in his Japanese baseball debut.
Before his turn in Japan, Chatwood pitched 10 seasons in the majors, where he went 52-60 with a 4.45 ERA over 229 appearances, 143 of which were starts. After breaking into the majors and spending most of his career with the Rockies, Chatwood inked a three-year, $38 million deal with the Cubs ahead of the 2018 season. That contract backfired, as control issues cost Chatwood a permanent rotation spot.
Chatwood split time between the Giants and Blue Jays' bullpen in 2021, where he recorded a 5.63 ERA over 32 innings pitched.
The Pirates went into the offseason looking for pitching depth, especially in the rotation. While Chatwood has worked primarily as a reliever the past few years, his starter pedigree does give the Pirates another potential option during spring training.
Since it is a minor-league deal, no corresponding roster move is necessary.
