Righty Adam Cimber, who missed the majority of 2023 due to a shoulder issue, might give the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen a cheap boost.
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ most pressing need this offseason is starting pitching, but they also need to bolster their bullpen.
Trevor Gott has already been mentioned as a possible cheap bullpen addition. Adam Cimber, a right-hander, is another reliever who was not tendered and might be a cheap addition to strengthen the Pirate bullpen.
Injury concerns were a major factor in Cimber’s non-tendered status by the Toronto Blue Jays.
During the previous season, Cimber was only able to pitch 20.2 innings in 22 games. Cimber was placed on the injured list in June due to a shoulder problem. He missed the remainder of the season after being moved to the 60-day disabled list in July.
Cimber was a difficult pitcher to follow. He struck out just 12.6% of batters faced and walked 7.4% of them, posting a 7.40 ERA and 7.46 FIP. With Cimber in the game, opponents hit.298, and he gave up six home runs (2.61 HR/9).
Still, it makes sense to believe that Cimber’s injuries were a major contributing factor in many of his problems.
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Cimber had tossed 278.2 innings in five MLB seasons before the previous one. Cimber had a 3.20 ERA, 3.56 FIP, 5.8% walk rate, and an 18.4% strikeout rate in 278.2 innings thrown. He had given up 20 home runs (0.65 HR/9) and held opponents to a.248 batting average.
Cimber probably would not be a pricey addition this offseason, given the worries about his shoulder and his troubles last season.
For a club like the Pirates, who need bullpen support but do not need Cimber to throw in high-leverage situations, it makes sense to bank on Cimber to regain his pre-injury form. Because of this, the Pirates may target Cimber as a free agent.
