2 Pirates players who could see a larger role in 2025, and 2 who should not

The Pittsburgh Pirates put the lid on a disappointing 2024 campaign that was defined by an epic second-half collapse. Despite an all-time great rookie season from Paul Skenes, a likewise strong rookie showing from Jared Jones, productive full-season performances from the likes of Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, and Mitch Keller, and over $30 million added to the payroll over the winter, the club matched its 2023 total of just 76 wins.

There has been a vocal commitment – starting at the top with owner Bob Nutting and trickling down to GM Ben Cherington – to compete in 2025. While the current roster features numerous holes that will require outside acquisitions, much of the improvement will have to come in-house. Looking at the group of players slated to remain in the organization next year, some unexpected names - for better or worse - could end up making a significant impact.

2 Pirates players who could see a larger role in 2025

Dennis Santana

One of the greatest flaws of Cherington's tenure as GM is the frequency with which veteran players come to Pittsburgh and immediately struggle. Very few players have actually gotten better after putting on a Pirates uniform, and the 2024 team featured multiple such players. There were a few success stories, however. While Joey Bart is the most obvious example, one who could see an expanded role is reliever Dennis Santana.

Not much was made of Santana's acquisition after he was let go by the New York Yankees in June following a 27 1/3-inning sample with an ERA well over 6.00. In 39 appearances with the Pirates, his ERA dropped to 2.44, which was supported by a near-identical 2.45 FIP. He made his sharp slider his primary offering while substituting a four-seam fastball in place of his usual sinker, which registered (by far) the highest exit velocity and lowest whiff rate of all of his pitches.

Aroldis Chapman became the Pirates' closer after David Bednar was removed from the role in late August. But it is far from a guarantee that Chapman returns to Pittsburgh for his age-37 season. Santana was the team's most consistent reliever down the stretch; he allowed an earned run in his final appearance, snapping a streak of 21 straight outings without allowing one. He could play a large role as the team attempts to revamp the back end of the pitching staff for 2025.

Jack Suwinski

Generally, it would be unwise to advocate for enhanced roles for players coming off of dreadful seasons. But the Pirates have far too many players whose true talent far exceeds their 2024 performance, and the team desperately needs some of those players to bounce back. One such player could be Jack Suwinski.

Suwinski was one of many hitters who struggled in what wound up being the final season under hitting coach Andy Haines' tutelage. Suwinski seemed to take a more conservative approach at the plate, which proved catastrophic. His slash line plummeted to .182/.264/.324, marking a major step backward which included a nearly 2-MPH drop in average exit velocity, a 7% drop in barrel rate, and a 130-point drop in slugging percentage.

Going back to his old approach could reap major rewards. In 2023, Suwinski posted a .793 OPS (two points better than Bryan Reynolds' 2024 number), homered 26 times, and had one of the highest walk rates in MLB (14%). The Pirates need to find that kind of production from multiple sources. Hopefully Suwinski can be one of them.

2 Pirates players who shouldn't see a larger role in 2025

Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Remember that thing about players coming to Pittsburgh and immediately getting worse? Insert Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The infielder, who had never topped a .699 OPS in any season in his career, posted a .758 in Toronto before coming to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. That figure fell all the way to .587 in 50 games with the Pirates, the worst offensive stretch in the career of a player not exactly known for his bat.

Kiner-Falefa primarily played second base at first while Nick Gonzales was on the injured list, then became the everyday shortstop when the team decided to move Oneil Cruz to center field. His value comes from his ability to provide above-average defense at multiple positions. The idea being floated around about Kiner-Falefa being the starting shortstop in 2025 is a bad one. He should not receive regular playing time in 2025, much less at a premium position.

Connor Joe

In addition to shortstop, the Pirates also need to figure out first base, and that solution should not include Connor Joe. He spent much of the season as the platoon partner for Rowdy Tellez, a situation which should have been advantageous for him. However, after slashing .276/.347/.448 (.794 OPS) through the end of May, he hit a putrid .180/.294/.290 (.584 OPS) the rest of the way. Joe finished the season in the fourth percentile in expected batting average and the second percentile in expected slugging percentage.

Joe was one of the Pirates' three most-used hitters in each the first, third, and fourth spots in the batting order, and his production clearly did not warrant earning those largely critical at-bats. This was especially evident at the end of the season, when Joe drove in a grand total of five runs across 33 games.

First base has been a problem for the Pirates for a long time. It would behoove the team to come up with a solution that doesn't involve a cheap platoon, and particularly one that doesn't heavily feature Joe.

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