Pirates Rumors: Bucs Interested In Aaron Cook?

The Pittsburgh Pirates don't have much in the way of established pitching for the 2012 season, so it appears that they're seeking out some veteran pitchers that may be able to eat up some innings and help them. According to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of those pitchers is former Rockie Aaron Cook, who recently became a free agent when Colorado turned down an $11 million option for 2012.

Cook, 32, has spent the past ten seasons playing for the Rockies, including a solid three-year peak as the team's best pitcher in the middle of the previous decade. An extreme groundball that doesn't miss bats, Cook has always depended on weak contact and low walk totals to thrive, but he's seen his ERA balloon over the years as his command has wavered.

He only pitched 97 innings in 2011 while dealing with an injury to his pitching hand, and he hasn't reached 200 innings in a season since 2008. But he's a true veteran presence, his defense-independent statistics were much stronger than his ERA in 2011, and he likely won't require much of a commitment after the season he just had.

Considering that Pittsburgh's current projected rotation is headed by Charlie Morton, Kevin Correia, James McDonald and Jeff Karstens, it's not surprising that they want help. Especially given that Morton may miss the beginning of next season after having hip surgery.