Pittsburgh Pirates: Long-Term First Base Answer Could Come From Elsewhere

The next regular first baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates could be available on next off-season’s free agent or trade market.

The future of first base is still up in the air for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Their top first base prospect, Mason Martin, comes with many concerns, and the subsequent long-term first baseman is Alexander Mojica.

While the internal first base options for the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t that great, their next long-term first base option could be added via free agency. They could also find this answer on the trade market.

The free agent market might not have a Freddie Freeman or Kris Bryant like it did this year, but it still has a handful of regulars. Jesus Aguilar has only ever had a wRC+ lower than 110 once since 2017. In the last two seasons, he has a .794 OPS, .338 wOBA, and 115 wRC+. He’s hit for his fair share of power with a .193 isolated slugging percentage but isn’t a terrible defender either. Career-wise, he has +9 DRS and a 0.4 UZR/150.

Another potential regular is Trey Mancini. Mancini had a solid comeback season after recovering from cancer treatment. The first baseman had a .758 OPS, .326 wOBA, and 105 wRC+. He also hit 21 home runs with a .176 ISO.

The Pittsburgh Pirates could also reunite with Josh Bell. Although Bell’s 2019 season looks more like a juiced ball fluke more than anything, he still put up a .823 OPS, .352 wOBA, and 118 wRC+. Plus, he had a quality .215 ISO.

An interesting potential free agent they could look into is Miguel Sano.

If the Minnesota Twins decide to buy out Sano, the first baseman brings light tower power to any lineup. Sano hit 30 home runs and has consistently ranked in the top 5% of exit velocity and hard-hit rate.

The downside is he’s consistently had a strikeout rate well over 30%, and his first base defense leaves much to be desired. But he’s only ever once had a wRC+ below 100, and 30 home run power is still going to help drive in a ton of runs. He also walks at a healthy rate.

Another free agent option that seems to get overlooked is Wilmer Flores. The infielder has put up a wRC+ of at least 100 every season, dating back to 2016. Last season Flores batted .262/.335/.447 with a .337 wOBA and 113 wRC+. He showed off solid power with 18 homers in only 437 trips to the plate and .185 ISO. Although Flores has mainly worked as a utility infielder the last handful of seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates might be able to intrigue him with a regular role at first base. He’d be a better option defensively than Sano, Bell, or Mancini. Flores has +2 DRS and a 1.1 UZR/150 at the corner infield position. He hasn’t recieved 500 or more plate appearances in a season since 2015. A guy who has put up a 117 wRC+ and has averaged 25 home runs per 600 plate appearances the last 3 seasons shouldn’t be reuglated to a bench/utility role.

If Yoshi Tsutsugo’s 2021 wasn’t a fluke and he hits well again in 2022, the Pittsburgh Pirates might consider keeping him around for a few more years. He’s younger than Aguilar, a year older than Bell and Sano, and the same age as Mancini. Tsutsugo ended the year on a high note, batting .268/.347/.535 with a 134 wRC+. The biggest thing that Tsutsugo improved was his strikeout rate, which he cut down from 28.3% with the Rays in 2020-2021 to just 22.9% with the Bucs. Tsutsugo was one of Japan’s best hitters and has always had significant power. If he can keep his strikeout rate down this season, he might just be one of baseball’s more underrated breakout candidates.

One potential trade option could be with the Boston Red Sox.

The Sox have Bobby Dalbec as the incumbent first baseman for now. Still, with top 20 prospect Triston Casas nearing MLB readiness, and another slugging first base/DH prospect in Niko Kavadas, the DH/1B situation could be crowded for the Sox. Last year, Dalbec had a solid .798 OPS, 334 wOBA, and 107 wRC+. He blasted 25 home runs while putting up a .254 ISO to go along with his above-average overall numbers.

Now Dalbec’s future with the team could be decided by a multitude of factors, outside of just a few other 1B/DH prospects coming up through the system. If Xander Bogarts chooses not to opt-out after 2022 or is resigned to a long-term deal, along with infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernandez, the Sox could move Rafael Devers to first base or DH. If the Red Sox decide to explore the market for a slugger who can fill in at DH after J.D. Martinez hits free agency, that could also clog up things.

Even if the Pittsburgh Pirates can’t find an internal answer at first base for the next handful of seasons, they should be able to find one on the free agent or trade market. There are plenty of options for them to turn to if they must explore that avenue. If the Pirates are serious about contending and adding to the payroll, this would be a step in the right direction (along with extending Bryan Reynolds, but that’s a topic for another day).