The Pittsburgh Pirates are practically out of the National League Wild Card race and have eight players under expiring contracts. Let’s look at who should return and who should be allowed to walk away.
Pirates Expiring Contracts: The Tough Calls
“The Cuban Missile”
Hard-throwing veteran left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman was signed for $10.5 million in January. After Friday’s action, he was 5-5 with a 4.18 ERA, 1.446 WHIP, 22 holds, eight saves, and five blown saves. The ERA and WHIP are too high for a high-leverage reliever, but his 3.28 FIP indicates that he’s not entirely to blame for his record, and although he’s walked 6.3 per nine innings, he’s also struck out 14.6 per nine. Based on his 15-year career, the Pirates knew – or should have known – what they were getting. Chapman goes through streaks where he blows everybody away with 100+ mph fastballs and streaks of wildness.
104.7 mph pitch from Aroldis Chapman 😱 💨
(via @Pirates)
pic.twitter.com/U9Oj7vkeyy— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 8, 2024
Chapman was good to have around when David Bednar was removed from the closer’s role on August 31. Since then, he’s converted four of five save chances. But he’s also had too many long streaks of ineffectiveness, and one has to feel that the Pirates didn’t get $10.5 million worth of pitching from him. He’s worth bringing back if he takes a substantial pay cut.
A Good Find
The Pirates expiring contracts, oddly enough, include three left-handed relievers. Ryan Borucki is one of them. He was a good find when the Pirates picked him up in 2023. That’s when he had the best year of his career, turning in a 2.45 ERA and major-league-leading 0.744 WHIP, aided by 0.9 walks per nine. He spent most of 2024 on the injured list and has been limited to 7 2/3 innings so far. The Pirates signed him for $1.6 million for 2024. It wasn’t Borucki’s fault, but the Pirates didn’t get much for their money. They’ll likely proceed with caution about bringing him back. But it’s hard to forget what he did in 2023. Giving him another chance isn’t the worst idea in the world.
Pirates Expiring Contracts: The Easy Calls
Not Taylor-Made for the Pirates
Center fielder Michael A. Taylor provided good defense, but with the bat, he’s looked more like Rip Taylor. He’s hitting just .191/.249/.285 with 5 HR, 21 RBI, and a terrible 49 OPS+. He’s mentored Oneil Cruz since Cruz moved to center field. Cruz looks happy and comfortable there and is playing well, so there’s no compelling reason to bring back Taylor. It’s a surprise he’s lasted this long.
“Cutch”
It’s funny to think the Pirates traded Andrew McCutchen after the 2017 season because he was thought to be a player in decline. Since returning in 2022, he’s been one of their better hitters. Coming into Friday, he’s hitting .238/.337/.428 with 20 homers and 50 RBI. The home run total is second on the club. McCutchen has filled various roles all over the batting order. Bob Nutting isn’t the hands-on owner that Pirates fans think he is, but he was instrumental in bringing Cutch back. It’s a sure bet that McCutchen will be back for another year. The fact that he has one of the Pirates’ expiring contracts is a mere technicality. He’s earned it through his play and the boss likes having him on the team.
“The Yazmanian Devil”
The Pirates signed veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal for $2.5 million while the rest of the nation was watching the Super Bowl. He was to mentor young catcher Henry Davis and provide insurance behind the dish in case Davis didn’t cut it. Well, Davis didn’t cut it, but Joey Bart fell into the Pirates’ lap in April and became the No. 1 catcher. Grandal got hot with the bat beginning in August, but he’s still hitting just .219/.290/.378, 7 HR, 24 RBI, and 85 OPS+. Next year, Endy Rodriguez will return after spending 2024 on the IL. With Rodriguez, Bart, Davis, and Jason Delay, there’s enough organizational depth at catcher. There’s no reason to bring Grandal back.
The Hard-Luck Pitcher
Poor Marco Gonzales. The left-handed starter led the majors with 34 starts in 2019. Injuries limited him to 10 games with the Seattle Mariners in 2023 and seven with Pittsburgh in 2024. On Friday, the Pirates announced that Gonzales had surgery on his flexor tendon and UCL. He won’t be able to return to baseball for about 12 months. The Pirates won’t pick up his $15 million option for 2025.
The Pirates Expiring Contracts: The In-Between Calls
Getting Rowdy for Another Year
First baseman Rowdy Tellez’s transition from one of the most despised Pirates in May to one of the most popular in June was like nothing ever seen in Pittsburgh. After hitting .177/.239/.223 at the end of May, he became one of baseball’s hottest hitters in June. Now he’s hitting .247/.300/.399, 13 HR, and 54 RBI. There are some compelling reasons for bringing him back. The Pirates don’t have a major league-ready first baseman in their system. Thus, their 2025 first baseman will come from the free agent route once again. Tellez likes it in Pittsburgh and is a respected team leader. Maybe whatever he did to become a better hitter in June will last through next year.
On the other hand, first base is a power position, and the Pirates need more power there than what Tellez provided in 2024. However, if they take too long to search for a first baseman, they miss out on Tellez while not landing a suitable replacement. The advice here is to get Tellez under contract for 2025 sooner rather than later. With a better right-handed platoon partner than Connor Joe, it’s reasonable to think the Pirates can get 25 homers from first base next year.
Another Left-Handed Reliever, Another Good Find
The deadline deal that brought Jalen Beeks to Pittsburgh didn’t exactly rock the baseball world. But he’s been effective since coming from Colorado. As a Pirate, he’s shown a take-the-ball attitude and has a 2.30 ERA despite a 1.404 WHIP. He entered the 2024 season with a career 4.38 ERA, and his ERA with the Rockies this season was 4.74. Thus, it’s fair to question whether his performance with the Pirates is sustainable. To these eyes, the quality of the pitches has been there. Beeks is worth bringing back on a fair contract.
Photo Credit: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
