3 players the Pittsburgh Pirates should consider in free agency before Grapefruit League play starts

The Pittsburgh Pirates should consider still pursuing these three free agents before Grapefruit League play begins

In recent days, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been the center of trade rumors. Rumors have been swirling around the Pirates and Miami Marlins surrounding starting pitcher Edward Cabrera.

If the Pirates do end up pulling the trigger on a player like Cabrera, it would mark a point where they are nearing a playoff-caliber team. Any good team needs depth throughout the roster, and the Pirates aren't willing to pay much. So, it wouldn't be surprising if they added depth for quite cheap. While these three players won't be the most expensive, they won't be the cheapest.

In the movie Moneyball, you need depth on the roster that helps create runs by reaching bases. These three players would add enough on-base appearances to help the team possibly reach the postseason.

Brandon Belt

Brandon Belt would be a perfect signing for a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates. He can help create runs with his capacity to hit around .230-.250 while also slugging around 20 home runs a season and walking at around 15 percent, which is one of the most elite rates in the league.

Belt would be a good replacement for a player like Connor Joe due to his ability to play an outfield corner, not well, but still play it, while also performing at a decent level at first base with the possibility of being a designated hitter.

He is likely due for regression in 2024, but he won’t be an everyday starter. However, the amount of talent and run creation he could bring to the Pirates over current players would be an amazing fit.

In the Pirate system, he would probably hit mid-to-late in the lineup. With the number of walks he takes, if the Pirates have a good hitter behind him, they could score a lot more runs. Also, in the second half of the season, he turned it around by slugging 13 of his 19 home runs while playing in 19 fewer games.

If the Pirates hope to make the playoffs in 2024, they would need a player like Belt. However, once they get there, he could pose some problems. He hasn’t been the best playoff hitter, batting just .215 in 39 games, but in 2023, he hurt the Toronto Blue Jays by going 0/8 with five strikeouts.

Tony Kemp

The Pittsburgh Pirates should consider a player like Tony Kemp, who, like Belt, also walks a lot, which would help create runs. He would not be an everyday starter, but he is a utility player who has flashes defensively and is likely to rebound in 2024 after struggling with a .209 average in 2023.

Kemp was very unlucky offensively in 2023, with many outcomes that should have been hits ending in outs. That could have been caused by playing in Oakland, but his prospects don’t lie. Kemp has also been connected to the Pirates this offseason.

Kemp can be a solid player who had a very unlucky season in 2023. Playing for a team like the Oakland Athletics in a non-winning environment could have caused some of his hitting woes, but regardless, the hardcore stats say he is due for a major bounce back.

Kemp is very comparable to players like Juan Soto and Tony Gwynn with his ability to not chase the ball often or whiff on it. He also doesn’t strike out pretty much at all and walks at a high rate.

In 2021, many teams were drooling at the chance of signing Kemp due to his ability to walk while never striking out. In 2021, he also was hitting for a high average, and in 2022, he regressed, but he seems to be due for a bounce-back season.

If a trade like the Cabrera one does occur, the package would likely consist of a player like Ji-Hwan Bae. If that trade doesn’t happen, the Pirates should consider adding Kemp to the 40-man roster, at least with a minor league contract and an invite to spring training, over another player like Alika Williams.