Nathan Webb signed to Minor League deal

Nov 22, 2022 - 4:37 PM

After finding recent success in the Arizona Fall League, relief pitcher Nathan Webb has been signed to a Minor League deal in Pittsburgh, with an invitation to the team’s Spring Training.

As free agency opens up and teams start making moves, it only makes sense that the Pittsburgh Pirates try and further develop an otherwise disappointing position group. Webb is not going to be an individual that turns that tide on his own, but he does add some explosiveness to any bullpen.

Webb was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in 2016 and has spent the past couple of years climbing the ranks in their Minor League system. In 2022, Webb bounced back and forth between Double-A and Triple-A competition, while also shining in Arizona this fall. Webb elected free agency on November 18, and the Pirates clearly saw a player with something to offer.

With a fastball that sits anywhere between 96-98 mph, Webb is certainly a reliever the Pirates wouldn’t mind having down the stretch. The Buccos have struggled closing out games, and one more relief pitcher is never a bad thing to have.

With all of that being said, it is unsure where Webb will spend the beginning of this upcoming season. Again, Pittsburgh’s bullpen is not the strongest, but Webb shouldn’t expect to be promoted ahead of someone like Quinn Ewers, who already in his young career has shown more consistency than Webb. However a spring training invitation indicates he’s someone the coaching staff wants to keep a closer eye on.

The Pirates’ will have a lot of pitchers to evaluate this upcoming spring and the acquisition of Webb makes sense, though don’t expect him to bolster this team on his own.