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Pittsburgh Pirates: 2 Positions that Need to be Upgraded for 2023
It is time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to try and be more competitive. There are plenty of spots that the team can upgrade from the roster last year.
The 2022 season was not very successful for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They lost 100 games for the second year in a row and will once again be in the running for the #1 pick. The hope has always been that this team will be more competitive starting in 2023. Now the question is whether or not that will happen.
One of the positives to take from the 2022 season was the youth movement. The Bucs may have lost 100 games, but it was somewhat different than in 2021. Yes, the payroll was down and that was consistent in both seasons.
The biggest difference between the two teams was the youth movement. The Front Office brought in over-the-hill veterans to fill voids in the past. They started the 2022 season that way, but as time went on things actually started to change. The Bucs called up many prospects this season including Oneil Cruz, Rodolfo Castro, Cal Mitchell, and Jack Suwinksi. Toward the end of the season, Luis Ortiz and Ji-Hwan Bae were both given opportunities as well.
Even with the youth movement, there is still plenty of questions for this team in 2023. They definitely still have some holes that they will need to fill to be competitive. So what positions should they look to improve?
The most important position that the team needs to look to fill is first base. First base has been a glaring hole for the Pittsburgh Pirates, for more than a few years. Signing a first baseman is a must for this team.
Who is in the pipeline? As of right now, their two closest to big-league options would be Mason Martin and Malcom Nunez. Martin has always been considered a potential power bat, but he also posted a sub .700 OPS.
Nunez, who performed much better than that in his 2022 season, was acquired by the Bucs this past August. The team received him along with pitcher Johan Oviedo in exchange for Jose Quintana and Chris Stratton. Nunez hit 23 home runs in 2022 along with a .830 OPS. Still, the Bucs likely want to get him more seasoning in their Organization.
The free agent market is not very deep but has proven upgrades. The biggest names are Jose Abreu and Brandon Belt. The left-handed swing of Belt would be great, but he likely will stay put in San Francisco or go to a contender. Abreu on the other hand definitely will be a free agent. The 35-year-old is obviously aging, but adding a veteran with his experience could be huge for some of the prospects on the team. Not to mention he still is a very good player hitting .304 with a .828 OPS. His age could keep him in the Pittsburgh Pirates price range.
The biggest need for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the last couple of years has been the position of catcher. The catching position has been a glaring hole for this team ever since Francisco Cervelli. The team did have the emergence of Jacob Stallings, but they decided to sell high on his value as he was aging.
This past year the team brought in Roberto Perez who previously played for the Cleveland Guardians. Perez had an OPS of .700 through 60 at-bats before undergoing surgery on his hamstring. Still, in just 21 games he produced a 0.6 WAR.
The pitchers raved about the veteran presence Perez provided this year. JT Brubaker mentioned that he would love for Perez to come back. Obviously, this is good to hear, but this also did not stop the team from trading away Jacob Stallings. Stallings had a lot of the same qualities.
Coming through the pipeline there is hope. The Bucs have two of the top catching prospects in Baseball. Endy Rodriguez blew up the minor this year, posting an OPS near 1.200 across three levels. He finished in Triple-A but will likely start there in 2023. The same can pretty much be said for 2021 first-overall pick Henry Davis. Davis will need more time in the minors after missing the bulk of the 2022 season with a wrist injury.