The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed veteran José Urquidy, an experienced playoff pitcher, to a one-year contract.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported today that the Pittsburgh Pirates are set to strengthen their starting rotation by signing right-handed pitcher José Urquidy to a one-year, $1.5 million free agent contract. Sources reveal the deal includes performance bonuses, though the team has yet to officially confirm this.

The Pirates had previously expressed a desire to bolster their pitching staff and showed interest in top left-hander Framber Valdez, who ultimately signed a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers yesterday. While Urquidy doesn’t have Valdez’s high-profile credentials, he was a member of the Houston Astros’ starting rotation when they won the 2022 World Series.

The 30-year-old Urquidy underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and appeared in two games for the Tigers last season, but his major league highlights mainly came during his 2019 to 2022 tenure with the Astros. During that time, he started 60 games, posted a 3.74 ERA, and struck out 281 batters.

Urquidy has made 15 career postseason appearances (8 starts) with a 4.08 ERA. He will bring veteran experience to the Pirates’ pitching staff, which is led by National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes and features promising young arms like Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones.

The Pirates have been actively strengthening their lineup this offseason, but this signing marks their first move to reinforce the starting rotation. Urquidy is expected to serve as a back-end starter, though he also has relief experience with 11 career bullpen appearances. The Pirates previously traded starting pitcher Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox, and a healthy Urquidy is expected to fill that vacancy.

In addition to bolstering their offense by signing Ryan O'Hearn and acquiring Brandon Lowe via trade, the Pirates have also added relievers Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery to improve bullpen depth.