Pirates chasing rumored new outfield target as Alex Verdugo competition increases

Until recently, the Pirates hadn't been reasonably connected to any free agents or trade targets whatsoever. That was surprising, given the roster holes on this team. That changed in recent days -- finally -- as Pittsburgh has reported interest in former Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo. MLB insider Robert Murray first connected the two parties, and had only mentioned the Pirates with interest for Verdugo, but Boston's Chris Cotillo mentioned a few other teams in the mix on Tuesday night.

Two big market teams in the Mets and Blue Jays have interest in the veteran outfielder, which makes it harder to envision the Pirates offering more money than either club. The Pittsburgh front office is aware of that reality, which is likely why they have begun looking elsewhere on the market.

According to Mark Feinsand, the Pirates are considering free agent outfielder Randal Grichuk, who has had other interest this offseason (namely from Boston). He is likely to be a platoon guy himself moving forward, putting up incredible numbers against left-handed pitching last year.

In Arizona a season ago, he was in that exact role, appearing in just 106 games and seeing the majority of his at-bats against southpaws.

Pirates have interest in Randal Grichuk, a possible alternative with other teams interested in Alex Verdugo.

If the Pirates did utilize Grichuk in a platoon role, the other side of the coin would be Joshua Palacios, who has some solid Statcast metrics, but battled a lot of injuries in 2024. It doesn't sound like a horrible platoon either, as there are much worse options available. In fact, Grichuk might be the better option over Verdugo, as he has a better bat and is cheaper.

Last season, Grichuk batted .291 with 12 home runs, driving in 46. His OPS reached .875, coming from an on-base percentage of .348 and a slugging percentage of .528. Additionally, he put together a wRC+ 139, struck out at a career low 16.5% clip, and walked at a career high 7.2%.

Against left handers, his wRC+ was all the way at 151 with a .913 OPS. That is extremely productive, and would boost a Pirates lineup that was not great against southpaws in 2024. Nick Gonzales, Andrew McCutchen, and Joey Bart are the only guys on the team that have been very productive against southpaws recently.

A big decision looms for the Pirates in the outfield, but fans finally have a good idea of what the front office is looking for. Verdugo and Grichuk are both options being looked at to fill in a big hole in right field. Time will tell who Pittsburgh ultimately chooses -- or who chooses them.