3 free agents the Pittsburgh Pirates must avoid this offseason

The Pittsburgh Pirates should be open to adding nearly anyone this offseason. The roster has some clear holes that need to be patched, along with other areas that need reinforcements. They should be going after players who can make a real impact. Luckily, they have plenty of options to turn to, both on the free agent and trade markets.

But there are also a handful of players the Pirates should avoid at all costs. Whether that be because they’re in the twilight of their careers or have some worrying underlying numbers, the Pirates have plenty of better options they could pursue than this trio.

3 free agents Pirates must avoid this offseason

Paul Goldschmidt

Only two years ago, Paul Goldschmidt took home National League MVP honors, and he’ll likely make his way into Cooperstown in the future. But while Goldschmidt was once a phenomenal player, his last two seasons have seen his production steadily decrease, with 2024 being the worst season of his career by a mile.

Goldschmidt collected 654 plate appearances and batted .245/.302/.414 with a .310 wOBA and 100 wRC+. His 26.4% K rate and 7.2% walk rate were career-worst marks. Goldy still hit for some power with 22 homers and a .169 isolated slugging percentage, which was above average. However, his ISO was the worst of his career, and represents only the third time he's ever posted a sub-.200 mark.

While his underlying numbers were better, they were still a huge departure from previous seasons. Goldschmidt clocked in with a .333 xwOBA, .464 xSLG%, and .258 xBA. This also includes a 10.7% barrel rate. These numbers were above the 60th percentile of batters, but nearly all of them were career lows. His barrel rate and xBA were just the second worst he’s ever posted in a single season.

The Pirates should only consider Goldschmidt if he’s willing to play in a reduced role. He was still effective against left-handed pitching with a .838 OPS, .361 wOBA, and 134 wRC+ last season, but he floundered when facing a righty to the tune of a .675 OPS, .292 wOBA, and 88 wRC+. The Pirates need a first baseman, but Goldschmidt should not be the answer unless they also plan on bringing in someone who can mitigate his struggles against same-handed pitching and declining metrics.

Anthony Rizzo

One may be able to justify Goldschmidt, given his lefty splits and still-solid numbers under the hood, but there would be no justification for signing another former All-Star first baseman in Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo looked like he was piecing together one of the best seasons of his career in 2023 when he ended May with a .304/.376/.505 triple-slash, .379 wOBA, and 144 wRC+. 

Then, unfortunately, he had a collision at first base with San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. on May 28, which led to a concussion. Rizzo played through the ailment, and has not looked like himself since. Over his last 567 plate appearances since the start of June 2023, Rizzo has hit just .209/.291/.298 with a .267 wOBA and 70 wRC+. Although he hasn’t struck out much, with a 19.2% K-rate, Rizzo also hasn’t drawn many walks, sporting a 7.9% BB%.

The power Rizzo was once known for has all but evaporated. He has just nine homers over this stretch and a sub-.100 isolated slugging percentage. His average exit velocity is just 87.7 MPH, while his barrel rate is a meager 3.5%. He was below the 30th percentile in every batting statistic on Baseball Savant, aside from whiff rate and strikeout rate.

Rizzo can still play a decent first base, but that’s about the only positive of the last two seasons for the former Chicago Cubs superstar. He doesn’t even have good enough splits to justify a part-time role. The circumstances surrounding Rizzo’s decline are very unfortunate, but the Pirates can’t afford to see Rizzo as a potential solution at first base.