Pirates right-hander Jeff Karstens is a non-tender candidate following an injury plagued season, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. Karstens has missed time with shoulder, groin and hip injuries this year, though he has pitched well when healthy.
“Jeff gives you everything he has every time he gets the ball,” GM Neal Huntington said.
Huntington said “it’s a bit early” to reveal what role Karstens will have on the 2013 team. The GM did not seem enthused while discussing Karstens’ chances of winning a rotation spot next year, Biertempfel writes. This could indicate that the 30-year-old will be non-tendered this December when the Pirates must decide whether to offer contracts to eligible players.
Karstens earned $3.1MM in 2012 and would obtain a modest raise if Pittsburgh tenders him a contract this coming offseason. When healthy, Karstens posted a 3.97 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 1.5 BB/9 in 90 2/3 innings, mostly as a starter.
If he’s non-tendered, I can see Hoyer and Epstein taking a look. This is the type of player they’ve been attracted to since coming over to the Cubs.
maholm2.0
Exactly! But, I like Karstens even more than Maholm, and he’s a lot cheaper. This would be a silly non-tender, in my opinion.
A very bad idea, Neil Huntington. Karstens is a reliable pitcher who can get outs when he’s healthy. He has the ability to ptich to contact, and get alot of ground balls. Jeez, I thought he would tout him better considering he acquired Jeff in one of his best moments (the Xavier Nady trade).
Consider him a poor man’s Derek Lowe/ Kyle Lohse (pre-2012), and that kind of pitcher is worth value.
Maybe the Mets will take a look at him if he is non-tendered
He does not allow walks, he generates a decent number of strikeouts, he has gotten better at almost every aspect of pitching each of the past 3 seasons, and he stands to earn maybe $5 million (tops)… And the Pirates would consider letting him walk away? That is why we have not had a winning season in two decades.
Pirates need to bring him back. He was their best pitcher a year ago, and wasn’t given a chance in the 2nd half of the season.
Yeah I dont see my pirates beeing that dumb. Having Jeff at 5 mill isslightly more i think then they paid Eric Bedard this season. He is a very good number 3 and that is were he will be slottedfor us next season. Not gonna find a better Starter on the open market for 5 mill.