With spring training upon us, it’s time to evaluate and grade the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offseason. Of course, there’s plenty of time before the season starts to add more additions to the team. Reportedly, general manager Ben Cherington is still working the phones.
In 2023, the Pirates finished at 76-86, improving by 14 games over 2022. They were encouraged by their 35-32 finish. Over the long season, that pace would have been good for 85 wins and contention for a wild card spot. The team is looking to improve even further in 2024. It believes it can contend for a playoff spot, even if nobody else does. Yet, Cherington needed many positions to bolster in the offseason, precisely, starting pitching, first baseman, catcher, and outfielder. Let’s see what letter grade the Pirates have earned for their offseason.
Starting Pitching
The Pirates finished 2023 with only two reliable starters in All-Star Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo. Miraculously, manager Derek Shelton filled the other three rotation spots primarily by employing bullpen games. However, that’s not an ideal approach over 162 games. The Pirates continue to wait and hope for some young arms to develop. Thus, some veterans who could provide depth for the rotation needed to be acquired. Cherington picked up Marco Gonzales in a trade and signed Martin Perez as a free agent.
On the positive side, both are experienced left-handers. With its deep left field, PNC Park favors left-handed pitching. Pitching coach Oscar Marin has a track record of turning around the careers of lefty pitchers. Witness the cases of Tyler Anderson and Jose Quintana, soft tossers like Gonzales and Perez. Marin worked with Perez when both were in the Texas Rangers organization. On the negative side, most of Gonzales’s best work happened before 2021. The Seattle Mariners were anxious to dump his $12.25 million salary. The Atlanta Braves took on most of it to facilitate a trade for Jarred Kelenic, intending to flip Gonzales immediately. Meanwhile, Perez is only a year removed from his best season. However, he was sent to the bullpen last year when the Rangers acquired Jordan Montgomery and Max Scherzer.
Let’s face it: both were unwanted by their former teams. (Gonzales was unwanted by two teams.) That’s not to say they were terrible acquisitions. But they profile as number-four or -five starters. The Pirates needed those, too, but unless Cherington’s efforts produce another starter or two, they’ll be thrust into roles they’re not suited for as number-two or -three starters.
The Bullpen
This wasn’t an area of concern in the offseason. All-Star closer David Bednar and eighth-inning specialist Colin Holderman were firmly entrenched in their roles last year. Eventually, the bullpen would become rock solid once rookie Carmen Mlodzinski was established in the seventh inning and Ryan Borucki was given increased responsibility. Yet, the more one thinks about it, signing Aroldis Chapman made a lot of sense.
So, where does Chapman fit? He’s a good insurance policy if Holderman or Mlodzinski take a backward step in 2024, which is a possibility due to their lack of experience. Otherwise, it gives the Pirates a strong five-person bullpen and the ability to shorten the game. This will be especially important if they’re unable to acquire another starter. Signing Chapman led to all sorts of speculation. Would Bednar be traded? Would Bednar be demoted to a set-up role with Chapman as the closer? Will Chapman be happy setting up Bednar? Not to worry, Pirates fans. Bednar is going nowhere, while Chapman is on record being content to be a set-up man. Of course, $10.5 million can make a guy content to be darn near anything.
Catcher
With number-one catcher Endy Rodriguez out for the season and Henry Davis lacking much major-league experience behind the dish, a veteran catcher was high on Cherington’s shopping list. Reportedly, there was interest in Gary Sanchez, who eventually signed with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers gave Sanchez a player option for 2025, which had to have been a non-starter for Cherington. The Pirates need a catcher only for the 2024 season, after which Rodriguez returns. They turned to Yasmani Grandal, who accepted a one-year deal. Grandal’s best years are behind him, having regressed offensively and defensively recently. But he’s preferable to Davis learning on the job when the team sees itself as a serious contender. Even so, the Pirates get only a passing grade for this offseason acquisition.
First Baseman
With no internal options ready to play first base in the majors and the failed Alfonso Rivas sent along his merry way, the Pirates had a big hole to fill. With Rowdy Tellez, they get a big left-handed batter who hit 35 home runs as recently as 2022. It will be interesting to see him aiming for PNC Park’s short right-field wall. However, there are downsides to this acquisition. Tellez is well below average in terms of defense or speed. Generally, he doesn’t hit for average or have a high OBP. Lifetime, he’s hit .233/.304/.446. In other words, he’s not contributing much if he’s not hitting for power. Cherington would have been familiar with Tellez when they were both with the Toronto Blue Jays. Maybe Cherington knows there’s more there. The plan is to platoon Tellez with Connor Joe, who’s shown good on-base skills throughout his career.
The Outfield
Bringing Andrew McCutchen back for another year was a mere formality. We won’t boost the Pirates’ offseason grade for that. But Cherington’s most under-the-radar offseason move may be the shrewdest of all. That was the acquisition of Edward Olivares from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for minor leaguer Deivis Nadal. The right-handed hitting Olivares has hit .261/.310/.426, 24 HR, and 73 RBI over parts of four seasons covering 230 games. With Joe considered primarily a first baseman, Olivares provides insurance against an injury to one of the outfielders. He may even get his fair share of starts against left-handed pitching in favor of Jack Suwinski. He’s played all three outfield positions in the majors but is rated a weak defender. However, he may adequately patrol PNC Park’s short right field. Most importantly, he’s controllable through 2026 from the Pirates’ standpoint.
A+ For Effort
If the offseason grade were based on effort alone, it would be an A+. Cherington has extra room in the payroll budget with marching orders to turn the team into a contender. He’s trying hard to spend it. Besides Sanchez, the Pirates reportedly showed interest in pitchers Domingo German, Noah Syndergaard, and surprisingly, Shota Imanaga, first basemen Josh Naylor and Carlos Santana, and infielders Adam Frazier and Tony Kemp. Cherington stated that multi-year offers were made to other pitchers who signed elsewhere without naming names. Cherington is reportedly engaged with the Miami Marlins for a young, controllable starting pitcher while negotiating with German and Syndergaard.
Whether Cherington is dealing with a free agent or a rival general manager, one senses a game of chicken to determine who will blink first in negotiations. It’s also true that it takes two to make a deal. This especially rings true with free agents. Players must want to come to Pittsburgh. The Pirates have a long way to go to change the perception that they aren’t out to win and that Pittsburgh is nothing more than a place where a guy can sign a one-year deal and hope to have a bounce-back year so he can move on elsewhere.
The Last Word
Cherington did well to bring Chapman and Olivares to Pittsburgh. However, where the most help was needed, he acquired two starters: a catcher whose best seasons are behind them and a first baseman who provides power but little else. This does not suggest they won’t make the Pirates a better team. They’ll probably move the needle, but not as much as hoped. There’s more work to be done. For the work so far, let’s grade the Pirates’ offseason a C+. If Cherington gets one of the Marlins’ young starters, we’ll elevate the grade to a B.
Main Photo Credits: Joe Rondone/Arizona Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
