Pittsburgh Pirates: Former Players That Are Currently Free Agents

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PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 29: Jose Quintana #62 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on July 29, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

There are a handful of former Pittsburgh Pirates on the free agent market, but where do they stand after last season and leaving the Bucs?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had many players come and go over the past few years. You have some notable names like José Quintana, Jameson Taillon, and Adam Frazier, and less memorable ones like Yu Chang, Derek Holland, Chris Archer, and Jordan Lyles. But one thing all these players have in common is that they’re on the free-agent market.

There are always a ton of free agents some Pirates fans will likely remember, and others they don’t. Today, I want to look at every free agent who once played in a Pittsburgh Pirate uniform. Don’t take this as the Pirates should sign these players, but as a list of former players now on the market.

Also, note that this only includes Pirates that played at least one entire season with the team. Honorable mentions include Guillermo Heredia, Phil Gosselin, Yu Chang, Jake Marisnick, Jose Quintana, Jordan Lyles, Chris Archer, Derek Holland, Manny Banuelos, Roberto Perez, Keone Kela, and Heath Hembree.

With that all out of the way, let’s start in the infield and make our way to the bullpen.

PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 03: Josh Harrison #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates while scoring on a RBI single in the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on August 3, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Infield

Arguably the most notable former Pirate free agent is two-time National League All-Star Josh Harrison. Harrison spent the first eight seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, making two All-Star Games and receiving MVP votes in 2014.

Since leaving Pittsburgh, he’s batted for a .693 OPS, .304 wOBA, and 92 wRC+. He spent the 2022 campaign as the Chicago White Sox’ primary second baseman, and after starting the year off poorly, he ended the season on a positive note, posting a solid .292/.341/.364 with a 104 wRC+ from August through the end of the season.

Another higher-profile former Pirate is Josh Bell. Bell was the Pittsburgh Pirates primary first baseman from 2017 through 2020. This past season was very up-and-down for the infielder. After starting off the year with a phenomenal .876 OPS, .376 wOBA, and 143 wRC+ with the Washington Nationals, he was traded to the San Diego Padres along with Juan Soto. However, the second half did not go as planned, as Bell had just a .584 OPS, .274 wOBA, and 78 wRC+.

Adam Frazier was one of the Pirates most recent big trades, as he was sent to the Padres during the 2021 trade deadline. Frazier spent the first few seasons of his Major League career in a utility role before taking over at second base full-time in 2019. Frazier has swapped hands many times over the past year-and-a-half, going from the Pirates to the Padres and then the Seattle Mariners. 2022 was an abysmal season for Frazier as he posted a .612 OPS, .274 wOBA, and 81 wRC+. But he did provide solid defense at the keystone and delivered a big hit in the playoffs for Seattle.

Others who made appearances in black and gold and are now on the free agent market include Yu Chang and Phil Gosselin.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 26: Corey Dickerson #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in action against the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 26, 2019 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Pirates 6-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Outfielders

Ben Gamel has spent the last two years in a Pirate uniform and is the team’s only free agent this off-season. Before the Pirates acquired Gamel in early 2021, he had previously suited up for the Yankees, Mariners, Brewers, and Cleveland. Gamel posted middling numbers in 2022, including a .693 OPS, .308 wOBA, and 97 wRC+. On the plus side, he did have a .324 OBP and an amiable outfield glove.

Corey Dickerson is the other outfielder who once played with the Bucs. He was the team’s left fielder in 2018 and 2019 and was quite good too. But age and health have affected him. He posted almost identical numbers to Gamel with the St. Louis Cardinals, including a .698 OPS, .303 wOBA, and 98 wRC+. He had a slightly higher batting average than Gamel at .267 but also an atrocious .300 OBP.

There are only two other outfielders on the free agent market who played with the Pirates for at least one game. That includes Jake Marisnick and Guillermo Heredia.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 24: Jordan Lyles #31 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on July 24, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Starting Pitchers

Only two former Pirates are starting pitchers on the free-agent market. The first is Jameson Taillon. Taillon spent the 2016-2019 seasons with the Bucs but faced bad luck after bad luck, undergoing Tommy John surgery twice and a cancer diagnosis. He’s spent the last two seasons with the New York Yankees and has posted league-average numbers in both seasons. In 2022, Taillon pitched 177.1 innings to the tune of a 3.91 ERA, 3.94 FIP, and 1.13 WHIP.

The other former Pirate starter is Chad Kuhl. Kuhl was part of the Pittsburgh Pirates up until last season. He made his debut in 2016 but underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-2018. After greatly struggling in 2021, the Pirates non-tendered the right-hander, and he then latched on with the Colorado Rockies for one year. While Kuhl got off to a strong start to the season, he eventually fell back down to Earth. All told, he pitched 137 innings and owned a 5.72 ERA, 5.26 FIP, and 1.55 WHIP, all three of which were career worsts.

There are a few other starters who played with the Pirates at least once before. Those include Jose Quintana, Chris Archer, and Jordan Lyles.

PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 01: Justin Wilson #37 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants during the National League Wild Card game at PNC Park on October 1, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Relief Pitchers

Justin Wilson was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2012 through 2014. The team then traded him to the New York Yankees in the 2014-2015 offseason in a one-for-one swap for catcher Francisco Cervelli. Last season, Wilson only pitched three-and-two-thirds innings. He struck out seven batters and didn’t allow a single walk. However, after missing a good chunk of the year’s first half, Wilson underwent Tommy John surgery in early June.

The other southpaw free agent reliever and the only other free agent reliever to pitch at least one season in Pittsburgh is Chasen Shreve. Shreve only spent the 2021 season in Pittsburgh, and he was a solid left-hander for the team. Before pitching for the Pirates, he mostly pitched for the Yankees but made brief cameos with the Braves and Cardinals. The Mets picked up Shreve in the ’21-’22 off-season, where he only pitched 26.1 innings, allowing 19 earned runs on six home runs, ten walks, and 29 Ks. Shreve was released in early July, and while he re-signed with the Yankees, he did not make another major league appearance in 2022.

Overall, only two former Pirate relievers on the market played at least one season with the team. Many others, though, made at least a few appearances in Black and Gold, like Heath Hembree, Keone Kela, Manny Banuelos, and Derek Holland.

Other Notable Free Agents

‘Other’ might be a bit vague, but I’m defining it as a player who didn’t have one defined position in 2022, such as a utility man or swingman reliever.

Andrew McCutchen is one of the best players in Pittsburgh Pirates franchise history. McCutchen spent nine seasons in black-and-gold, making it to five All-Star Games, winning four straight Silver Slugger Awards from 2012 through 2015, the 2013 National League MVP Award, and a major reason the Pirates made it back to October. McCutchen has bounced around from team to team since the Pirates traded him in the 2017-2018 off-season. In 2022, he spent the campaign as the Milwaukee’s DH/OF, posting what has so far been his worst season. The former MVP managed a poor .700 OPS, .309 wOBA, and 98 wRC+.

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Trevor Williams was a Pirate from 2016 through 2020. He had an impressive 2018 campaign but was never able to replicate that season. The Pittsburgh Pirates non-tendered Williams after a rough 2019 and 2020 campaign. After a mediocre run with the Chicago Cubs, Williams was dealt to the New York Mets alongside Javier Baez in 2021. The right-hander undertook a long-relief/swingman role in 2022, pitching to the tune of a quality 3.21 ERA, 3.88 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP in 89.2 innings/30 games/two starts.

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