With the 2022 regular in the books and the offseason approaching, this is the second installment in a six-part series taking a look at the Pirates' roster and where they need to focus as they prepare for the 2023 season.
The Pirates started the year by committing to a third baseman through the rest of the decade and cycling through first basemen to no avail. They need to improve at the latter position, but what options do they have?
PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER
3B Ke'Bryan Hayes; 3B Miguel Andújar
FREE AGENTS
N/A
SEASON STATS
Team First Base: .206/.264/.337, 17 HR, 66 RBI, -3 fWAR
Team Third Base: .230/.302/.339, 11 HR, 44 RBI, 3.2 fWAR
Notable Individual Performers: Ke'Bryan Hayes .244/.314/.345, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 4.3 rWAR; Michael Chavis .229/.265/.389, 14 HR, 49 RBI, -0.2 rWAR; Bligh Madris .177/.244/.265, 1 HR, 7 RBI, -1 rWAR; Yoshi Tsutsugo .171/.249/.229, 2 HR, 19 RBI, -1.7 rWAR
SEASON AT A GLANCE
The Pirates started the year by signing Ke'Bryan Hayes to an eight-year, $70 million contract on opening day, the largest contract in the history of the franchise. Hayes lived up to the hype defensively, being nominated for a Gold Glove after leading all players in defensive runs saved (24), but he still struggled at the dish, posting a .659 OPS and 87 OPS+. He confessed at the end of the season that he had been dealing with a back injury all year which did impact his mechanics. Some of his hitting peripherals were still quite good, namely exit velocity, but he didn't put the ball in the air enough to maximize it.
First base, on the other hand, was a disaster. You have to travel all the way back to 1920 to find a Pirates team with a lower team OPS than this year's team. Yoshi Tsutsugo was brought back on a one-year deal after impressing during his tryout in 2021, but the results this time around were disastrous. The Pirates would end up cutting ties with him in early August. (The Pirates certainly dodged a bullet after wanting to explore multi-year contracts last winter.) Michael Chavis entered the year as a utility infielder but ended up being the primary first baseman after a hot start and good results in the first half of the year against southpaws, but his aggressive approach at the plate ended up being his undoing. The Pirates designated him for assignment late in the season, as they also did with Josh VanMeter and Bligh Madris, two more players they threw at first base hoping to stick. Nobody did. Miguel Andújar was a late-season waiver claim and could get reps at first base in 2023.
Like catcher, the Pirates finished last in team OPS at first base. They finished 27th in third base OPS.
PROSPECTS ON THE RADAR
Mason Martin entered the year as a fringe 40-man player who might have been taken in the Rule 5 draft had it taken place. While he did hit 19 home runs, he also struck out in over 35% of his plate appearances and finished with a .210 batting average and .696 OPS. He's not on the radar for a 2023 promotion at this time.
Instead, the Pirates brought in a different prospect who could be their first baseman of the future. Malcom Nunez was acquired from the Cardinals in the José Quintana/Chris Stratton deadline deal amid a breakout campaign where he slugged 23 home runs and had an .833 OPS. He was always touted as having power, but this past season was the first time he really showed it could play in affiliated ball.
"I'm maintaining the ball up, keeping the ball up," Nunez told me at the end of the Curve's season. "Last year, I would hit a lot of ground balls, and that was my problem. This year, I focused on keeping the ball up."
At third base, Jared Triolo is the defending minor-league Gold Glove winner at third base and didn't miss a step there. He's not going to usurp Hayes, so the Pirates experimented with him at shortstop and center field. More positions could be on the table. Offensively, he has posted above average results despite some below average peripherals.
Another prospect of note is Dariel Lopez. The 20-year-old third baseman/shortstop had a solid season for Class High-A Greensboro, showing off his raw power with 19 home runs and .805 OPS. He's very raw, especially in the field, but has the potential to be a big-leaguer.
All four players are Rule 5 eligible this winter.
WHO IS ON THE MARKET
Third base is Hayes' spot. First base is wide open.
José Abreu is the premier first baseman on the free agent market, with Josh Bell and perhaps Anthony Rizzo (if he declines his player option) serving as the next-best options. Brandon Belt and Yuli Gurriel are two good players, but they're up there in age and may just choose to return to their clubs or retire. Brandon Drury enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Reds and Padres this winter, and while the Pirates would probably like his defensive versatility, he should be in demand league wide and likely out of their price range.
The trade market for first basemen could be interesting. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Ji-Man Choi appears to be on the way out. Choi posted a respectable 114 OPS+ for the Rays this past season, even if most of that came from his on-base percentage (.341) rather than his slugging (.388 SLG, 11 home runs over 419 PA). MLB Trade Rumors projects him to make $4.5 million in his final year of arbitration next season, which is barely more than what the Pirates paid Tsutsugo this year. If he's a non-tender candidate, he wouldn't cost much in a trade. If the Pirates want to gamble, Dominic Smith received some MVP votes for the Mets in 2020 but has struggled the last two years and is also a non-tender candidate. He might be worth a look.
But if the Pirates stick with the free agent market, they're likely going to have to go the reclamation project route. Miguel Sanó is coming off a horrible 2022 season where he battled knee injuries and hit a pitiful .083 over 20 games for the Twins. He's also just one year removed from a 30 home run season. The Pirates can offer the 29-year-old corner infielder playing opportunity to rebuild his value for another bite at the free agent in a year or two. Jesús Aguilar, 32, hit 30 home runs and drove in 127 runs over 188 games for the Marlins in 2020 and 2021, but was let go midseason after recording a .674 OPS for them with poor defense. Carlos Santana barely hits above the Mendoza-line anymore, but still turned in a league average 100 OPS+ because of his 19 home runs and 18 doubles as a semi-platoon, but he was also a below-average hitter in both 2020 and 2021.
If they're willing to shell out a little more, Trey Mancini might be in range, as he checks every single box they look for in a player (upside on the field, good clubhouse guy, defensive versatility). But the largest contract the Pirates have ever signed a non-returning free agent for is Russell Martin's 2 year, $17 million deal in 2012. Mancini would require that record to be broken.
WHAT SHOULD THEY DO?
Hayes' elite defense provides enough value at third base, but he's probably going to need to hit more if the Pirates are going to elevate themselves to a competitive team. He still has the potential to be a good hitter, and next season is going to be pivotal to prove that.
First base needs to be addressed, but almost all of the options in front of them are reclamation projects. Perhaps one of them clicks, but if it doesn't, the safety net is Nunez in the minors, Andújar or hoping that both Rodriguez and Davis make a proper leap to the majors and they split time between first and catcher.
Part 1: Catchers
Part 3: Middle Infield (to come)
