Matt Gajtka is reporting that the Pirates have intensified their talks with free agent pitcher Scott Kazmir, according to an industry source. We have heard that the Pirates have interest in Kazmir, but it sounds like they have stepped up their pursuit of the 31-year-old(32 in January) lefty.
Kazmir split this last season between the Oakland A's and the Houston Astros. He posted a 3.10 ERA in 183 innings, with a 1.21 WHIP and 155 strikeouts. In 2014, he had a 3.55 ERA in 190.1 innings, with 164 strikeouts and a 1.16 WHIP. His FIP was 3.98 in 2015, so that's a big difference from his season ERA, but it was 3.