Pirates A to Z: After being acquired from Phillies, Bailey Falter pitched in multiple roles

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster.

Player: Bailey Falter

Positions: Pitcher

Throws: Left

Age: 26

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 175 pounds

2023 MLB statistics: Was 2-9 with a 5.36 ERA and 1.14 WHIP, 60 strikeouts and 20 walks in 80 2/3 innings over 18 appearances, including 14 starts.

Contract: Not eligible for arbitration until 2025.

Acquired: From the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 1 in a trade for infielder Rodolfo Castro.

This past season: After showing promise by going 6-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in 20 games in 2022, Falter lost his spot in the Phillies’ starting rotation when he lost six of his first seven starts.

His troubles could be traced back to the previous October. In Game 4 of the NLCS, Falter lasted only two-thirds of an inning against the San Diego Padres after giving up a solo home to Manny Machado and a two-run double to Brandon Drury in the first inning. Falter didn’t make another postseason appearance for the Phillies.

After going 0-7 with a 5.13 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 40 1/3 innings, Falter was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on May 16. The Pirates traded for him at the deadline after sending their only lefty starter, Rich Hill, to the Padres in another deal.

“Falter really is a guy we’ve had our eyes on for a while,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “Left-handed pitcher, strike thrower, deceptive, pitched on a big stage, pitched with a good team, pitched in a tough pitcher’s park in Philly. PNC is a nice park for a lefty with his style. We’ve always kind of felt like he was going to be a good fit for our team and our ballpark and have asked the Phillies about him a number of times over the last couple years. So that was the biggest thing.”

Because Falter hadn’t pitched in the majors since mid-May, the Pirates outrighted him to Triple-A Indianapolis. But he never made an appearance there. Instead, he was added to the taxi squad Aug. 4 and made his first start for the Pirates a day later at Milwaukee.

What can we expect to see from pitcher Bailey Falter when he makes his debut for the Pirates tonight in Milwaukee. Catch the full story tonight at 6:30 on Pirates Pre Game. -DP pic.twitter.com/cdFBahdic7

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) August 5, 2023

Falter drew a difficult assignment, facing 2021 NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. Falter was up to the task. While Burnes held the Pirates hitless through the first four innings, Falter kept the Brewers scoreless in the same span. He gave up back-to-back singles to start the fifth and was tagged with an earned run before exiting after throwing 41 of 63 pitches for strikes.

“He did a nice job,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He mixed and matched, executed the fastball to both sides of the plate. We knew we were probably only to get about 60 pitches, 65 pitches out of him, and he did a good job.”

On Aug. 21, Falter finally earned his first win of the season in an 11-1 victory over a St. Louis Cardinals lineup loaded with right-handed hitters. Falter allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out eight in the final six innings.

“It feels really good. I was just praying that I was going to get one this year,” Falter said. “It’s crazy, but baseball works in funny ways.”

Bailey Falter's 6th and 7th Ks. pic.twitter.com/3SU4XqofEs

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 22, 2023

That it came in a different role foreshadowed Falter’s new role with the Pirates. With Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo the only true starters, the Pirates used Falter, Thomas Hatch and Andre Jackson as openers.

Falter said Shelton and pitching coach Oscar Marin didn’t tell him he would be going the distance once he entered the game. But his fastball sat at 92 mph, touched 94 and generated 17 of his 29 called strikes and whiffs, and he complemented it with a curveball.

“They didn’t give me much more information than that,” Falter said. “Oscar and Skip said they felt like this would be the best fit for me so that’s what they went with, and I couldn’t agree more. My job is to go out there and get outs until they take the ball out of my hand — it doesn’t matter if it’s starting, relieving, closing.”

Falter did a bit of both starting and relieving over the final month. He followed his first win with a blowout loss, giving up six runs on seven hits in a 10-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 27, then went 3 2/3 innings in each of a pair of relief appearances.

His second victory came against the Washington Nationals on Sept. 12, when Falter allowed one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts in six innings of a 5-1 win.

But after allowing eight runs on nine hits, including three homers, in only two innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Sept. 23, Falter finished the season on the 15-day injured list with a left neck strain.

Bailey Falter striking out CJ Abrams with a wicked curveball

78.6 MPH, 1879 RPM, 50 inVB, 5 inHB pic.twitter.com/Ju09K6mtw5

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) September 13, 2023

The future: Where Falter’s future with the Pirates was helped Friday when he was one of 34 players tendered a contract for 2024, his role remains unclear.

The Pirates are desperate for starting pitching, and Falter is their only lefty candidate on the 40-man roster. He has a five-pitch repertoire that leans heavily on a four-seamer, curve and slider and his 5.8% walk rate ranked in the 87th percentile, per Statcast, but hitters feasted on his fastball at a .307 clip and he allowed 17 homers in 18 appearances.

The Pirates thought enough of Falter’s potential to trade Castro for him, and could give him a chance to win a spot on the staff this spring, either the starting rotation or as a bulk reliever.

But with the Pirates having pitchers as seven of their top 10 prospects, per Baseball America, time is running out on Falter to live up to his potential and carve out a role.