Pirates Offseason: Could Kevin Correia return?

Kevin Correia is a free agent this offseason after two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and it is unclear whether the ninth-year pitcher is thinking about a return to the Bucs.

Correia was temporarily bumped from the Pittsburgh rotation after the acquisition of Wandy Rodriguez, making him expendable for the Pirates. Clint Hurdle says the team tried to trade Correia as the trade deadline approached without luck. Whether or not Correia returns is as much a matter of whether Correia wants to come back to a team that essentially benched him as whether Pirates feel he can fill a need in their rotation.

When asked if the Pirates would like Correia to return, Hurdle said: "There's a lot about Kevin to like. I'll leave it at that. You got to have interest on both sides, or it's a moot point."

Correia didn't perform poorly for the Pirates - in 53 starts, he's 23-22 with a 4.55 ERA - but after pitching mainly out of the bullpen to start his career with the San Francisco Giants, he will probably search for a team where he will have a definite rotation spot.