That Was Fast: Pirates Uninspiring Offseason Already Looks Worse

This could’ve been the year.

This could’ve been the year that the Pittsburgh Pirates went for it. This could’ve been the year where the Pirates took advantage of what they have and surrounded a true ace with enough talent to compete for a playoff spot. At the very least, this could have been the year the Pirates put aside their reputation as a organization focused on profits above winning.

Well, it wasn’t. And it already looks even worse before the first pitch of the Grapefruit League slate begins.

The Pirates had an underwhelming offseason. Plain and simple. And even by their standards.

Spencer Horwitz was acquired to solve a revolving door at first base. Andrew McCutchen was brought back to continue to provide a veteran presence and steady production with the bat in his hands. Adam Frazier, a 2021 All-Star with the Pirates who has struggled in recent years, rejoined the Pirates. 37-year-old Tommy Pham is the solution in left field as Bryan Reynolds will move to right. Enmanuel Valdez adds further infield depth.

On the pitching side of things, the Pirates added two lefty relievers coming off down seasons. They also signed or traded for a few lottery-ticket types with hopes someone emerges this spring to fill out the bullpen.

And again, all free agent signings were one-year deals. Still no multi-year free agent deals since 2016.

Of anyone acquired this offseason, Horwitz is by far the most intriguing. It took the Pirates Luis Ortiz and a pair of pitching prospects to get him. But that intrigue will at best be delayed.

Horwitz will miss the start of the regular season after he had surgery on his right wrist to address chronic issues. Chronic isn’t something you ever want to hear. He’s out at least 6-8 weeks.

There are a lot of players who could fill in for him in the short-term already in house. The options don’t do much to move the needle.

So the Pirates look like they’re back to square one. Back to where they’ve been for the last decade. Back to making marginal additions to the roster while relying on internal improvement to finally propel a team that a starved fan base so badly wants to see under the bright lights and cool temperatures of October baseball.

It’s a strategy that has yet to pay off, or really come close to paying off. Yet their insistence in following that strategy remains.

The Pirates’ starting lineup doesn’t look much better, if any better than it did last season. Last year’s lineup slashed a lowly .234/.301/.371 with 160 home runs. Only five teams hit fewer.

The bullpen is still a question mark. The Pirates will be without veteran Aroldis Chapman, who signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. Chapman filled in for David Bednar after he was removed from the closer’s role late in the season.

The starting rotation looks promising. But starting pitching is the most volatile component of a team’s roster. Look at two seasons ago when the Pirates ended the year with two full-time starters in their rotation.

There were plenty of reasons for urgency this offseason. Paul Skenes is a generational talent and the clock on his time in Pittsburgh is already ticking. There’s mounting pressure on Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton to win entering the sixth season of their tenures.

But instead we’re all left wondering what the strategy was this offseason. It should’ve looked different.