There are a only a few serious problem spots on this roster, which might be surprising if you expected it to be horrendous across the board. The Pirates can offset some of those defensive concerns by playing him more in a corner, but the trade demand for his services is likely to be a storyline throughout the season. Even with the slow start, Reynolds set a new career-high with 27 home runs and posted a 125 wRC+. He put together a 6-win season in 2021, but got off to a cold start and had the worst defensive year of his career last season by most metrics. Reynolds also needs to be mentioned here, as he is projected for 3.7 WAR between left and center. The Pirates are well positioned to let that situation play out. ![]() Still, the strikeout rate must come down and there are still questions as to whether or not he can stick at shortstop long term. Cruz makes so much hard contact that it is easy to see why projection systems are bullish on improvement this season. ![]() Cruz posted a 106 wRC+ and 1.2 fWAR in 87 games in 2022 despite a 34.9 percent strikeout rate and a 49 percent ground ball rate. Per FanGraphs, the Pirates biggest strength is at shortstop, where Oneil Cruz is projected for 3.1 WAR in his first full season in the majors. ![]() Signed outfielder Andrew McCutchen to a one-year, $5 million dea.Traded pitcher Zach Thompson to the Blue Jays for outfielder Chavez Young.Traded pitcher Bryse Wilson to the Brewers for cash considerations.Signed pitcher Rich Hill to a one-year, $8 million deal.Traded infielder Diego Castillo to the Diamondbacks in exchange for pitcher Scott Randall.Acquired outfielder Connor Joe from Rockies in exchange for pitcher Nick Garcia.Signed catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year, $5 million deal.Selected pitcher Jose Rodriguez from the Dodgers in the Rule 5 Draft.Signed pitcher Vince Velasquez to a one-year, $3.15 million deal.Signed pitcher Jarlin Garcia to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with a club option for 2024.Signed first baseman Carlos Santana to a one-year, $6.7 million deal.Acquired pitcher Inmer Lobo from the Red Sox in exchange for second baseman Hoy Park.Claimed Lewin Diaz off waivers from the Marlins as part of the neverending 2022-2023 offseason Lewin Diaz saga.Acquired pitcher Duari Moreta from the Reds in exchange for shortstop Kevin Newman.Acquired first baseman Ji-Man Choi from Tampa Bay in exchange for pitcher Jack Hartman.Claimed pitcher Beau Sulser off waivers from the Orioles.475 winning percentage would probably constitute a successful season for this roster. A Steamer-ZiPS blend sees them as a fourth-place finisher in the NL Central with 72-74 wins ZIPS alone has them last in their division with a 68-win point estimate. Still, this is not exactly a competitive roster. The return of McCutchen is the most notable move and his impact off the field could be big for a team with such a young roster. Many of the team’s top prospects are at, or approaching, the major league level, and the team did go out and try to supplement the roster with some cheap veteran additions. The Pirates come into the 2023 season looking to make progress on the field and move past the “losing as many games as possible” phase of the team’s rebuild. His situation, along with whether Cruz and Hayes can take steps forward, will serve as the backdrop for Pittsburgh’s season. Pittsburgh has stated publicly that they want to keep Reynolds, and have placed a high price tag on any deal. Reynolds is the team’s most established player, but requested a trade this offseason after he and the Pirates were unable to come to terms on a long-term extension. The team also went out and tried to supplement the roster with veteran additions such Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Santana, Rich Hill and Ji-Man Choi. There are still plenty of question marks and the chance that things don’t go well, but players such as Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Bryan Reynolds at least make the team somewhat interesting. Still, there are some signs of optimism about a roster that is hoping to take a step forward in 2023. The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons and haven’t had a winning campaign since 2015.
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