3 Pirates who have one last chance to prove themselves in 2025

Pittsburgh Pirates v Texas Rangers
Pittsburgh Pirates v Texas Rangers | Sam Hodde/GettyImages

There are a handful of players that the Pirates have rostered over these last few years who have performed below average, but they have still remained on the 40-man roster nonetheless. The Pirates only non-tendered three players from last year's team at the 2024 deadline, which means nearly all the players who struggled are back again.

Out of all the players that were unproductive and will likely return, there are three that stand out as players that, if they do not show signs of improvement in 2025, will see their time in Pittsburgh come to an end.

These three players have one last chance to prove themselves to the Pirates in 2025.

Ji Hwan Bae

Bae was a former top prospect in the Pirates farm system, but has failed to have a productive major league career. He has not played a full professional season yet (maxing out at 108 games at the Triple-A level in 2022), but he has nonetheless made it to Pittsburgh in three straight seasons.

Last season, Bae was outstanding in Triple-A, but when he got a chance at the big leagues, he posted an OPS of .463 and a wRC+ of 30. The year before, he got an even bigger opportunity in Pittsburgh, playing in 111 games, but the results were also not great. His OPS reached .608, he belted just two home runs, and his wRC+ sat at 65.

Bae is not a player that will have a high slugging percentage, but the peak version of his game involves finding ways on base and stealing. The only issue is he has struggled at getting on base and strikes out at a high rate. Bae is now 25 and has been below average his entire career, leaving 2025 as his last chance to stay on the Pirates.

Jack Suwinski

Suwinski had high expectations for 2024, but he completely fell apart, eventually getting optioned to Triple-A. He even struggled in the minor leagues last season, which leaves 2025 as a "make or break it" season.

In 2023, Suwinski belted 26 home runs and put up a wRC+ of 116 with an OPS of .793. All eyes were on him for 2024 to be the Pirates' next long-term center fielder, but he answered by producing an OPS of .588 with nine home runs and a wRC+ of 62.

That poor showing in 2024 leaves Suwinski with one final opportunity to prove that he belongs in Pittsburgh. Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz have already locked up two spots in the outfield, while Ben Cherington has stated that they are looking to add a corner outfielder. If Suwinski does not take a step forward in 2025, his time with the Pirates may come to an end.

Henry Davis

The former No. 1 overall pick is getting set for a season that will decide his future with the Pirates. Ben Cherington is reportedly active in the catching market, which may make it even harder for Davis to earn a spot in Pittsburgh.

After a below average rookie season in 2023, Davis was the team's starting catcher on Opening Day. He came in and batted .144 with an OPS of .453 and a wRC+ of 30. He also struck out at a 36.9% clip.

Davis' unproductive bat is causing him to run out of chances in Pittsburgh. 2025 marks his last chance with the Pirates to prove that he should stay (or to establish some sort of trade value).

These three are running out of time to showcase what type of positivity they could bring to the Pirates. Their struggles are leaving them with one last chance to prove themselves in 2025.

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