3 salary dump candidates with potential the Pirates should pursue this offseason

The Pittsburgh Pirates need to make some impact trades this winter. One way they could lessen the heft of the package they would have to send in return in a trade for a big bat is by taking on a burdensome contract.

They probably would not (and should not) take on a large and underwater contract like Kris Bryant or Anthony Rendon, but there are some shorter-term deals out there they could easily absorb as part of a larger trade. That would allow them to add a decent player while limiting the package of prospects they have to send back.

3 burdensome contracts Pirates could absorb in trade this offseason

Chris Paddack

Chris Paddack made a great first impression back in 2019 with the San Diego Padres. Paddack pitched to a 3.33 ERA, 3.95 FIP, and 0.98 WHIP in 140.2 innings pitched in his rookie season. Paddack’s 26.9% K% paired nicely with his outstanding 5.5% walk rate. Paddack’s 2019 BB% still ranks as the 10th-lowest among rookies with at least 120 innings pitched over the last decade. Paddack’s 1.47 HR/9 was below average, but the number was posted during the peak of the juiced ball.

But Paddack has topped 100 innings just once since then. He’s thrown 283 innings with the Padres and Minnesota Twins over the last five seasons, and owns just a 4.90 ERA. Paddack still carries a strong 4.8% walk rate, but has seen a decrease in K% to 21.9%, and his HR/9 has remained at a mediocre 1.40-per-9 ratio. Paddack has decent underlying numbers, like a 3.83 xFIP and 3.97 SIERA, but they haven't led to the encore many expected after his great rookie campaign.

Luckily, it seems Paddack could greatly benefit from a full-time move to the bullpen. Opponents only hit .233/.280/.393 against Paddack when they face him the first time, but when they got a second look at him, they hit .268/.304/.483. To put it in perspective, that’s like comparing M.J. Melendez’s 2024 season to Jordan Wesburg’s ‘24 campaign. The former had just a 79 wRC+, while the latter had a 125 wRC+.

But neither the Padres nor the Twins have ever fully committed to trying Paddack in the bullpen. He has only made three bullpen appearances in his entire career. His stuff would likely play up in shorter appearances as well. On top of that, it may preserve his health, which is something that has plagued him throughout his career.

Paddack is slated to make $7.5 million in 2025, so the Pirates might be able to get him, along with another young player, in a deal with the Twins.