Determining what Ben Cherington should do with every Pirates free agent

Yasmani Grandal, Catcher

The Yasmani Grandal experience in 2024 was not great, but the veteran was actually better than most fans think. He was a DFA candidate before the All-Star break, but afterwards, he was one of the hottest hitters in Pittsburgh's lineup.

Grandal finished the 2024 season batting .228 with nine home runs and 27 runs batted in. He also had an OPS of .704 and a wRC+ of 95, which is slightly below average. His elite framing led him to an fWAR of 2.0, which was the fifth-best mark on the Pirates.

During the first half of the season, Grandal batted .178 with three home runs and an OPS of .502. After the All-Star break, he caught fire, batting .302 with six home runs and a .987 OPS. His wRC+ skyrocketed from 34 before the break to 172 after.

His defense is highly regarded, but his pop time is the slowest in the entire league at 2.09 seconds, and he is ranked 75th out of 83 catchers in arm strength at 77.8 miles per hour. That is unlikely to improve as he ages further, and he allowed 66 stolen bases and only caught six runners in 2024. That's a brutal starting point. Still, despite a poor arm, Grandal is ranked in the 84th percentile for framing and 62nd in blocking, which saves his defensive value behind the plate.

Overall, the Pirates should stay away from a reunion with Grandal. His defense may be good on paper and his bat was good for the final two months, but with Endy Rodriguez returning, it is not worth it for the Pirates to re-sign him.

Andrew McCutchen, Designated Hitter

The Pirates' face of the franchise, Andrew McCutchen, is once again a free agent. He had another solid season as the Pirates designated hitter in 2024, and intends to return in 2025, so ... yes, the Pirates should look to bring him back.

In 2024, McCutchen had a batting average of .232 with 20 home runs and 50 runs batted in. He also had an OPS of .739 and posted a 105 wRC+. His walk percentage remained above average at 11.3%, but his strikeout rate increased to 25.8%.

He is going to be 38 next season, but he is still a crucial part in the lineup. The Pirates should definitely look to bring back McCutchen.