Pirates Re-Sign Ivan Nova For Three Years, $26 Million

The free agent class of starting pitchers was thin to begin with, and with Jeremy Hellickson (Phillies), Rich Hill (Dodgers), and now Ivan Nova (Pirates) all returning to their original teams, it hasn't been very exciting. Having just added Daniel Hudson to the bullpen and being currently engaged in talks with the White Sox over Jose Quintana, the Pirates are addressing their pitching needs all at once. Bringing back Nova is very important, considering Gerrit Cole's injury issues last year and the inherent risks that come with youthful pitchers like Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon, and Chad Kuhl. After a fairly unspectacular half-season with the Yankees (7-6, 4.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP over 21 games [15 starts]), Nova excelled upon his trade to Pittsburgh, going 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over 11 starts, even tossing a pair of nine inning complete games (a third was cut off at 5.1 innings by rain). With a rotation of Cole, Nova, Taillon, Kuhl, and Glasnow, and Drew Hutchison waiting in case of injury/ineffectiveness, the Pirates rotation no longer looks like an area of need for 2017, though if they acquire Quintana, it could even be a strength. For his career, Nova is 58-41 with a 4.30 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 142 games (129 starts).