SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Pirates general manager Neal Huntington has learned one thing above all else as the Bucs continue their search for a veteran arm to join a rotation that could be highly dependent upon young starters.
"The importance of developing your own pitchers has never been higher," Huntington said at the GM Meetings on Tuesday. "We love our young pitchers. If we can add to them, and something makes sense, we'll look to do that."
With a historically thin free-agent class of starting pitchers and a number of clubs looking for rotation help, the Pirates may find themselves priced out in their pursuit of pitchers like Ivan Nova, who surged into free agency with a strong second half in Pittsburgh.