3 experiments Pirates must try before September ends

The Pittsburgh Pirates have already undertaken on major experiment this season by moving error-prone shortstop Oneil Cruz to center field, and the early returns have been overwhelmingly positive. So, why not use the final weeks of the season to experiment some more?

Playoff seeding isn't all that's decided in September. The silver lining of the Pirates being out of contention is that they have nothing to lose; they have the freedom to try some new and different things in a low-stakes, low-pressure environment, and they should take full advantage as they shift their focus to 2025.

3 experiments Pirates must try before September ends

Give Billy Cook an extended look at first base

The Pirates acquired Billy Cook in a prospect swap with the Baltimore Orioles at this year's trade deadline, and he impressed during his five-week stint with Triple-A Indianapolis. The Pirates selected his contract on Sept. 8 and he had a memorable MLB debut in which he notched two hits and two RBI.

Cook can play all three outfield positions and first base, and the Pirates should seriously consider giving him an extended look at the latter. They have mostly been platooning right-handed Connor Joe and left-handed Rowdy Tellez at the position, depending on the opposing pitcher; but Joe is better deployed off the bench as a utility player, and Tellez is on a one-year contract and could very well not be with the team next year.

The Pirates should use the final weeks of the 2024 season to see what they have in Cook as a potential everyday first baseman. He could also benefit from some consistent at bats as he continues to adjust to Major League pitching.

Give Isiah Kiner-Falefa some more games at third base

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was another trade deadline acquisition for the Pirates, and his ability to play shortstop has come in the clutch in light of Cruz's move to the outfield. However, with Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes likely out for the remainder of the season, the Pirates have the unique opportunity to replace him with another Gold Glove-caliber third baseman in Kiner-Falefa.

Jared Triolo has been consistently productive at the plate while manning the hot corner in Hayes' absence, so it's unlikely that the Pirates would want to take his hot bat out of the lineup. But in the event that Triolo's bat starts to cool down, Pittsburgh should seriously consider moving Kiner-Falefa over to third.

While he's not necessarily a long-term solution, utility infielder Alika Williams is more than capable of holding down the fort at shortstop through the end of the season, at which point the club can – and should – explore adding an everyday shortstop via trade or free agency.

Try using Carmen Mlodzinski as a closer

Two-time All-Star David Bednar missed all of Spring Training this year with a lat injury and thus lacked a normal buildup for the competitive season. As a result, he has struggled greatly throughout the 2024 campaign, and a second-half meltdown saw him removed from his usual closer role at the end of August.

The Pirates have lacked a regular closer since Bednar's demotion and have been alternating between Aroldis Chapman and Dennis Santana in the role. It's a fine solution for the time being; but Chapman is a free agent after this season and is unlikely to return to Pittsburgh. Deploying Santana as a closer negates his ability to provide length as a middle reliever and setup man.

As they look ahead to 2025, the Pirates should try Carmen Mlodzinski in the closer role. He had a somewhat shaky start to the year that included a couple of stints on the injured list, but he seems to have settled in during the final month of the season. He even served as the opener in the Pirates' bullpen game against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 10, tossing two scoreless innings in which he struck out one without allowing a hit or a walk.

In case Bednar can't get it together by next season, it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Pirates to experiment with Mlodzinski in the closer role now to see if he's a viable option for 2025 – especially since they may not have Tellez to fall back on next year.

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