Bucs to get back to run prevention in 2017

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — At this point, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle can ink two names into his rotation: Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon. After that? Three spots up for grabs.

Right-hander Chad Kuhl, coming off a solid rookie season, has an early edge for one of those spots, Hurdle said Wednesday at the Winter Meetings. The Pirates’ outlook could change, at least somewhat, based on what they do the rest of the offseason. Pittsburgh is actively seeking starting pitching but has yet to find a match at the Winter Meetings this week.

• Hot Stove Tracker

“I think those are things that [general manager Neal Huntington] is exploring right now,” Hurdle said. “We would like to add a so-called experienced starter to the rotation, a guy that’s got a track record, resume of pitching innings, quality innings. … If somebody else can show up to help us out, we’ll explore that.

“If there is not a move that we think betters the organization, we’ve got guys that we’re going to look toward internally to give them the ball and the opportunity to improve. We’re going to look at it from both those angles.”

The Pirates continue to show interest in veteran left-hander Derek Holland. Within their own ranks, the Bucs …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com