Pirates Q&A: This One’s Loaded; Offseason Thoughts, Oneil Cruz’s Future, Etc.
Welcome back to another edition of our Pittsburgh Pirates Q&A. Let’s get to your questions.
How is Seth Hernandez doing? The Pirates have a ton of pitching- do you think it should be expected by fans that the Pirates will unload a pitching prospect such as Burrows for good hitting and spend a reasonable amount of money for another bat or two. I think that would make them competitive enough for a wildcard especially if Flores eliminates a weak spot with the catcher’s bats. I believe they may have the best rotation in baseball next year. – Kevin
Hernandez reported to Florida after getting drafted but didn’t appear in a professional game — as is sometimes the custom for prep picks — and we didn’t get many updates on him. By all indication, though, he’s doing well and is someone the Pirates are understandably excited about.
Given the pitching depth they’ve built, the Pirates should absolutely be willing to part with some of it to acquire a bat(s) this offseason to improve the offseason next year. With that in mind, they don’t want to sacrifice too much depth and leave the pitching staff in a vulnerable place next season. Burrows is among the possibilities.
How many bats do you see the Pirates needing to acquire to realistically turn this around, and if there’s any light at the end of the tunnel next season, what do you see as the chances of bringing up Griffin to try and take a next step. – Matt
At minimum, they will need two legit bats — one in the outfield and one at third base. Not dumpster diving in the free agent market or taking a chance on a rebound candidate. And that’s only enough if a guy like Bryan Reynolds bounces back next season and Oneil Cruz lives up to his potential. Even then, they’ll likely need more.
Looking at the roster, there’s only one position where I’m confident they have someone they can count on heading into next season, and that’s at first base with Spencer Horwitz who had a good year at the plate.
I’m not expecting Griffin to start the season in Pittsburgh, but if I had to guess he’ll open next year in Triple-A Indianapolis. After that, he could make his MLB debut in relatively short order.
I’m done with Oneil Cruz and I hope the Pirates are too. He just isn’t that good. What are the likely trading partners and what could we get in exchange? – seanbucfan
I’m not saying the Pirates should definitely trade Cruz this winter, but they should at least consider it and hear what other teams are willing to part with to get him.
His value is tough to gauge, but I would expect the Pirates to still want a top 100 prospect as a headliner given his talent and potential upside that he has yet to reach in Pittsburgh. Some teams are going to look at his skillset and fall in love. Others might see his production and balk at that ask.
As for teams that could make sense? The New York Yankees expressed interest in him at the trade deadline, a source told Pittsburgh Baseball Now. The Cleveland Guardians, Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies also come to mind. That list will change as the offseason continues.
Would the culture of the Pirates improve in terms of “winning” by moving on from Cutch and handing the keys to Skenes? – Tom Robinson
The Pirates are in an interesting dilemma with McCutchen. There’s no disputing how much he means to the organization and the fanbase. He’s proven he can still play, too. But would the DH spot be better served to a player who offers a little bit more at a similar price? Probably.
McCutchen, too, is in a dilemma. He wants to be a Pirate, but more importantly, he wants to WIN as a Pirate. That’s something the Pirates haven’t done much of since returning for the 2023 season. Should he stay with the Pirates and hope they contend? Or should he go to a more clear-cut contender and go to his first postseason since 2018?
McCutchen’s veteran leadership means a lot to the clubhouse and he’s the only one on the team who knows what winning in Pittsburgh looks like. But if he does return, it might have to be in a lesser role.
They aren’t signing any top tier FA – we all know that. What players do you se them being willing to trade and who would you like to see them bring back in return. I would love to see them get Duran from Boston and Lowe from the Rays. It improves the lineup and lengthens it and provides some much needed hr power. Thoughs? – Brian Soule
Jarren Duran and Brandon Lowe both make a lot of sense as trade targets for the Pirates. And those are they types of players they should be looking to add.
The Pirates have built enough pitching depth to where they should be comfortable using some of it to land offensive help. I also think the likelihood of dealing Mitch Keller to not only shed salary but to help improve the lineup is increasing.
Keller to the Red Sox for Duran as the framework of a deal makes some level of sense.
Sign Cedric Mullins and Rob Refsnyder in the off season, 2 years,22 million each. Trade Konnor Griffin and Hunter Barco to the Yankees for Spencer Jones and Anthony Volpe. Make Cruz your DH and see how he takes to it. Hitting may be better without him taking his poor defense into the batters box. DO NOT sign 4-5 guys all making 5-8 million. Sign 1-2 guys making 12-16 million a year. – Willie
Let’s start with the trade. I don’t mean to be harsh, Willie, but under no circumstances should the Pirates trade Griffin for that package, or just about any package for that matter. He’s a huge part of the future and one that’s becoming increasingly closer.
As for the free agents, I think Mullins and Refsnyder both make sense as targets. And I agree with your bigger picture. Quality over quantity. Sign guys who have a real chance to make a difference, not guys you hope can.
I have little confidence in Ben & his staff evaluating hitting talent, so how does he propose this off season of potential players acquired be any more productive. – Thomas Harpst
Cherington said that he’s confident in his ability to improve the offense and that he’s ready to get to work. Until he backs up that claim, you have every right to be skeptical. I know I am. This is going to have to be a very different offseason for Cherington, or it will be his last.
Who would be good bench coach? – Jason Williams
Good question, Jason. It’s something I think has been overlooked since the Pirates did not officially name a bench coach when Kelly took over.
I would not be surprised if he targeted someone with managerial experience. Brining in Gene Lamont was a huge benefit to him this season, but that might have been a one-and-done scenario.
I wonder if Rocco Baldelli — who was let go by the Twins — would have interest in the position.
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