The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a deal with left-handed starting pitcher Tyler Anderson according to Ken Rosenthal.
Left-hander Tyler Anderson in agreement with Pirates on major-league deal, pending physical, source tells @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 16, 2021
The 31-year-old Anderson has pitched five seasons in the majors since being drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the first round in 2011. Just three years earlier out of high school he was a 50th round pick. Anderson debuted in 2016, making 19 starts and pitching 114.1 innings. He had a 3.54 ERA, a 3.59 FIP, a 1.29 WHIP and a 99:28 SO/BB ratio. That was followed up by a 4.81 ERA in 86 innings in 2017, with 81 strikeouts and a 1.33 WHIP.
Anderson spent the entire 2018 season in the Colorado rotation, making 32 starts. He had a 4.55 ERA, a 4.57 FIP, a 1.27 WHIP and a 164:59 SO/BB ratio in 176 innings. He was limited to 20.2 innings in 2019 and pitched poorly, posting an 11.76 ERA in his five starts. He became a free agent after the season and signed with the San Francisco Giants, where he made 11 starts and two relief appearances during the shortened season. Anderson had a 4.37 ERA in 59.2 innings, with a 4.36 FIP, a 1.39 WHIP and a 41:25 SO/BB ratio last year. He became a free agent on December 2nd.
Anderson missed half of 2017 and most of 2019 with a knee injury that required surgery each time, but he appeared to bounce back fine from the injury last year, so it shouldn’t be an issue. He had an elbow injury in 2013 and one in 2015, which cost him the entire year, plus an oblique injury in 2016 that cost him time, so injuries have been an issue. He was actually placed on the 60-day disabled list before his big league debut, so despite pitching just five seasons, he has over five years of service time. That’s important to note because he will reach free agency at the end of the season.
UPDATE: From Jason Mackey, the deal will be worth $2.5 M.
Per source, Tyler Anderson's deal with the Pirates is for $2.5 million. Pending physical, of course.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) February 16, 2021
