Pirates add more depth in former Orioles, Mets outfielder on minor-league contract

That search for an outfielder has gone on very long for the Pirates, but all they have done this offseason at the position is add a handful of minor-leaguers. Depth is very important for all teams, of course, and the Pirates have made a handful of moves to boost theirs. Still, at some point, they're going to need to top this offseason off with a bonafide big-leaguer.

This type of depth collecting continued Thursday, as Pittsburgh reportedly signed left-handed hitting outfielder DJ Stewart to a minor-league contract. He joins Bryce Johnson and Nick Solak as the minor league outfielders the Pirates have brought in this offseason.

That congests things in the outfield in Triple-A, and seeing as the Pirates have reported interest in Alex Verdugo and Randal Grichuk, this clog could continue to grow after an addition to the big league roster.

Pirates bring in DJ Stewart to add more left-handed depth to outfield

Adding depth that can be close to league average will be crucial to the Pirates' chances for 2025. Their outfield could possibly be above average offensively, thanks to their two best hitters Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, as well as a free agent addition. Relying on Stewart to make a stronger impact over Ji-Hwan Bae in the event of injuries is actually a smart decision.

Last season in 74 games with the Mets, Stewart batted just .177 with five home runs, driving in 19. His OPS reached .622, coming from an on-base percentage of .325 and a slugging percentage of .297. Additionally, his wRC+ reached 88, he walked at a 16% rate, and he struck out at a 24.7% clip. The numbers obviously are not starter material, but his bat is much more productive than guys like Bae have been previously.

His Statcast metrics are pretty average, including an average exit velocity of 89.7 miles per hour, a batting run value of two, and a barrel rate of 8.1%. His chase percentage of 14.2% would have been one of the best in baseball if he'd had enough at bats in 2024 to qualify.

As is the case with every other minor-league signing, this is just a depth move in the event of injuries. Out of the three they have brought in the offseason, Stewart has the best chance of getting promoted at some point, but that's something to get determined after the Pirates add a big league outfielder.