Grading the Pittsburgh Pirates' performance at the MLB trade deadline

Many Pittsburgh Pirates fans anxiously anticipated what general manager Ben Cherington would do at this year's trade deadline. After being sellers for the last five years (four if you don't count 2020), the Pirates were finally in a position to be buyers this summer.

The deadline has now come and gone, and while it took a minute, Cherington did his part and made the Pirates' better. But overall, how did the Bucs end up doing?

What the Pirates acquired at 2024 MLB trade deadline

The biggest addition was Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the Toronto Blue Jays. The infielder is having a career year with the bat, slashing .292/.337/.420 with a .331 wOBA and 116 wRC+. IKF is striking out at a career-low 13.2% rate but has a sub-5% BB%. This is also the first year he's posted an isolated slugging percentage above .100 at .128. He has some worrying underlying numbers, though, including a .291 xwOBA, which would match what he did between 2020 and 2023.

IKF is an excellent defender between three infield positions. He's seen at least 105 innings at second and third base, along with shortstop, racking up +12 defensive runs saved and +4 outs above average. He also has some experience in the outfield, but only logged a single inning on the grass in 2024. The Pirates can also bring him back next year, as he has another year of control for 2025.

The second most noteworthy player they acquired was Bryan De La Cruz from the Miami Marlins. The outfielder has hit .245/.289/.417 with a .305 wOBA and 96 wRC+. He's provided solid power during his time in Florida. This year, he already has 18 home runs (his career-high is 19) with a .172 isolated slugging percentage. He doesn't walk that often, with a 5.5% BB%, and has a mediocre 26% strikeout rate. Defense hasn't been his strong suit either, with -3 defensive runs saved and -7 outs above average, but he does have a powerful arm and is in the 84th percentile of arm strength.

The Pirates are playing the upside game with De La Cruz. He is above the 50th percentile in xwOBA (.327), xBA (.257), and xSLG% (.465) with a quality 89.7 MPH exit velocity and 11% barrel rate. De La Cruz has an expected weighted on-base average on contact of .422, which is above Francisco Lindor, Ian Happ, and Freddie Freeman. Given that he's only 27 and is controlled through 2027, the Pirates have the chance to have a controllable power-hitting outfielder long-term to bolster their offense.

The Pirates also acquired two left-handed relievers. One is veteran Jalen Beeks from the Colorado Rockies. Beeks has a 4.74 ERA, 4.35 FIP, and 1.36 WHIP through 49 innings. Thus far this season, he's only struck out 18.8% of batters with an 8.5% walk rate and 1.09 HR/9. Beeks holds batters to soft contact. He is in the 85th percentile of average exit velocity at 87 MPH, and in the 70th percentile of barrel rate at 6.5%.

The other lefty reliever joining the club is Josh Walker from the New York Mets. He has only pitched 22.1 big league innings in the last two years with a 6.45 ERA, 4.50 FIP, and 1.66 WHIP. While he has struck out batters at a roughly league-average rate of 22.3%, he's been prone to home runs (1.21 HR/9) and allowing free passes (11.7% BB%). Walker has had a solid season at Triple-A with a 2.83 ERA, 4.10 FIP, and 1.29 WHIP. He has struck out far more batters than most, with a 31% K%, and has limited home runs, posting an 0.63 HR/9. But walks have been an even bigger problem for Walker in the high minors, with a 16.7% BB%.

The best prospect the Pirates traded for is Nick Yorke. The Boston Red Sox selected Yorke in the first round of the 2020 draft. A second baseman who has played some left field, Yorke has hit well this year at Triple-A, slashing .310/.408/.490 with a .402 wOBA and 136 wRC+ through 169 plate appearances. He's struck out less than 20% of the time (18.9%) with a 14.2% walk rate, and has a .179 isolated slugging percentage. Yorke ranked as one of the Red Sox's best prospects heading into this season.

The Pirates also swung a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for utility man Billy Cook. The 25-year-old was a 10th-round pick in 2021. Cook is having a strong year between Double-A and Triple-A this season with a .275/.371/.470 triple-slash, .373 wOBA, and 120 wRC+. A plus base runner, Cook has swiped 25 and 30 bases in each of the last two seasons. He has 16 so far this year. He's also showed off some power potential, going yard 24 times with a .206 ISO in 2023, and has a dozen homers and .195 ISO this season. Cook has cut his K% down each of the last two years. In 2022, he struck out 31.8% of the time, cut that to 25% last year, and is now all the way down to 21.8%. Cook has mostly played first base this season, but has played all three outfield positions, as well as second base, in recent years.

Last but not least, the Pirates also acquired left-handed pitching prospect Ronaldys Jimenez from the San Diego Padres. The 18-year-old only has six frames under his belt as a professional. He's struck out eight batters while walking two, but has also hit two batters and has thrown three wild pitches. Jimenez stands at 5'11", 165 pounds. Despite his young age and smaller stature, Jimenez already sits 93 MPH with a low-80s slider.