LAS VEGAS -- The Pirates' trade of Ivan Nova opens up different possibilities for the starting rotation.
Nova was dealt to the White Sox on Tuesday for minor league right-hander Yordi Rosario and $500,000 in international bonus slot money. The deal was made during the second day of the Winter Meetings at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
Neal Huntington mentioned two in-house candidates for the fifth starter's job in right-hander Nick Kingham and left-hander Steven Brault.
Kingham, 27, made his major league debut this year and went 5-7 with a 5.21 ERA in 18 games, including 15 starts. He was 5-4 with a 4.11 ERA in his first 10 games but 0-3 with an 8.53 ERA in his last eight.
"Nick obviously had a strong stretch over the course of the summer before fatiguing at the end," Huntington said.
Brault, 26, has made 16 starts and 48 relief appearances over the last three seasons, going 7-6 with one save and a 4.68 ERA.
"Steven, we believe, we’re going to help this young man become the pitcher we know he can be at the major league level," Huntington said.
Another possibility is free agent right-hander Jordan Lyles, who has agreed in principle on a contract with the Pirates pending a physical. The examination is likely to take place Friday in Pittsburgh.
Lyles pitched for the Padres and Brewers last season. The 28-year-old was a combined 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 35 games, including eight starts.
Lyles is likely best remembered by Pirates' fans for hitting Ryan Vogelsong in the face with a pitch during the 2016 season.
Huntington also is open to the idea of having an "opener," in which a relief pitcher would begin the game by working an inning or two before being replaced by a pitcher who could go four or five innings.
The Rays started the "opener" concept this year and were 44-34 in those games, compared to 46-38 when using a traditional starter.
"Part of that will be how things evolve the remainder of the offseason," Huntington said. "We will look at the free-agent market and trade market to see what is available and what would make sense for us. We also have to look at the opener then the follower and see, if we do redistribute those six innings, if it maximizes those innings to our best advantage."
The Pirates' top four starters are some order of Jameson Taillon, Chris Archer, Trevor Williams and Joe Musgrove.
The Pirates get salary relief in the trade, as Nova is set to make $9,166,667 next season in the last year of a three-year, $26-million contract. The subtraction of that money would leave the Pirates' projected payroll at approximately $70 million in 2019.
Huntington would not commit to using the entire savings on free agents or players acquired in other trades.
"My job is to maximize payroll dollars for all facets of baseball operations," Huntington said. "When we looked at (Nova's) projected salary toward his actual salary, we felt we could redistribute it to other places on the club and meet or exceed production level we have projected for him."
Rosario, 19, spent last season pitching at the rookie-ball level. He was a combined 1-4 with a 2.57 ERA in 14 games with 70 strikeouts in 56 games in the Dominican Summer and Arizona leagues.
Nova, 31, was 9-9 with a 4.19 ERA in 29 starts this year.
"Ivan Nova was a pro," Huntington said. "He did some really good things for us. He took the ball and kept us in the game. I don't want to downplay what he did. That has a certain value."
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