Pirates’ Offseason Plan Already Paying Dividends (+)
It was another busy offseason for the Pittsburgh Pirates this winter, but for the first time in a while, it was in a little bit of a different way.
Instead of subtracting from the club, the Pirates added several experienced players with the majority coming in on one-year deals.
When talking to Wil Crowe at the end of last season, he admitted how the deadline moves took away some of the veteran leadership that was there to start the year in Jose Quintana, Chris Stratton and Daniel Vogelbach all getting shipped out of Pittsburgh.
Now, the Pirates have added a whole new slate of veterans to help guide a young team through the upcoming season, and those veterans are already making an impact.
Among the veteran additions for the Pirates this winter was Rich Hill, who is the oldest player in the league as he turns 43 years old next month.
Hill was spotted with the soon-to-be 25-year-old Johan Oviedo, going over pitching grips shortly after pitchers and catchers reported to Bradenton.
Hill’s professional career began in 2002 when Oviedo was only four years old. The wealth of knowledge a guy who has been around as long as Hill has is extensive, and Oviedo is taking advantage of the opportunity to learn from his new teammate.
Though Hill may be the most veteran presence of the group, he is not the only one making an impact with the younger group of players.
Oneil Cruz and Rodolfo Castro, who in addition to being double-play partners are very good friends, have a new mentor who hails from their native Dominican Republic.
Carlos Santana was signed to a one-year deal by the club earlier in the offseason, and he’s seemingly already making an impact on the duo.
After Roberto Perez went down with a season-ending hamstring injury early in the year, catching became a big question mark with the club.
The Pirates tried to solidify the backstop position by bringing in Austin Hedges, also on a one-year deal.
While Hedges may leave some to be desired with the bat, he’s regarded as an excellent defensive catcher and a player pitching staffs have loved working with. It’s easy to see why in his bullpen session with reliever Colin Holderman.
Hedges has also taken notice of two of the Pirates’ top prospects, both of whom happen to be catchers in Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis.
Then there’s that familiar face. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Andrew McCutchen is back with the team where he started his career.
McCutchen and Ke’Bryan Hayes have been catching partners and the duo seems to be building an even deeper bond than warming up together.
Sure, performance certainly matters. But even before stepping on the field for an exhibition game, the veteran additions to the team are already showing some of their worth.
While most of the additions may only be around for the 2023 season — that is, even if they make it to the finish line with the club — it’s these type of moments that could benefit the Pittsburgh Pirates for years to come.
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