Pirates News: Players elect free agency, Pittsburgh native OF retires, Bob Nutting

The conclusion of the World Series means the start of free agency, and five eligible Pittsburgh Pirates players became free agents on Thursday.

The group, led by veteran DH Andrew McCutchen, also includes catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitchers Aroldis Chapman, Ryan Borucki and Jalen Beeks. Of those five, McCutchen is the most likely to return, presumably on another one-year deal.

A return for Chapman would also make sense, given that he finished the 2024 season as the Pirates' unofficial closer and was one of the few bright spots in their otherwise brutal bullpen situation. But $10.5 million was already a big commitment for general manager Ben Cherington this year, and he may be hesitant to commit a similar amount again to a player who will be 37 by the time the 2025 season starts.

Borucki missed most of the 2024 season due to injury, but his pre-injury success with the Pirates could justify them signing him back on a smaller deal in the hopes that he will bounce back to his 2023 form. Beeks, who arrived in Pittsburgh at the trade deadline while Borucki was still rehabbing, was arguably one of Cherington's worst trades; still, it wouldn't be overly shocking if the Pirates brought him back next year, considering their need for lefty help in the bullpen.

Grandal contributed veteran leadership as the personal catcher for Paul Skenes, and he put up decent offensive numbers in the second half of 2024. He probably doesn't make sense for the Pirates moving forward, though, given the emergence of Joey Bart and the backlog of Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez at the catcher position.

Pittsburgh native Alex Kirilloff announces retirement from baseball at 26

Minnesota Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff, a Pittsburgh native and veteran of nine professional seasons, has announced his retirement from baseball at age 26. Kirilloff, who played his ball at Plum High School in Pittsburgh, but graduated from Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, cited significant injuries to his wrist, shoulder and back as reasons for stepping away from the game.

"Baseball has always been a cornerstone of my life," Kirilloff wrote in a statement on social media. "Starting with my childhood in Western Pennsylvania, where I grew up as the son of a baseball coach. Spending countless hours in the batting cages, hitting hundreds of balls daily, fueled my dream of playing Major League Baseball. Living that dream has been an absolute joy."

Pirates owner Bob Nutting backs plan to revitalize downtown Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro announced a 10-year, $62.6 million initiative to revitalize Downtown Pittsburgh, with the support and contributions of local leaders, nonprofits and businesses – including the Pirates.

"One of the core components of the plan is connecting the corridors between hubs, and the North Shore and PNC Park are definitely a hub of activity," said Pirates owner Bob Nutting, who made a sizable contribution to the effort. "That’s important to the Pirates, and it’s important to Pittsburgh.”

The irony, of course, is that PNC Park could be an even more vibrant and profitable hub of activity if Nutting were to invest in his team's payroll to put a winning product on the field – but Pirates fans know better than to expect that sort of commitment from their owner. Oh well. At least he invests in the community in other ways.

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