How are these former Pirates players doing with their new teams in 2024?

These veterans could provide a nice spark for the Pirates

Carlos Santana, Minnesota Twins

Carlos Santana is just someone that you always root for. He is a veteran that has bounced around to many teams, but just always performs well and fills his role admirably. Everywhere he has gone, the reviews are the same. He is a talented first baseman who will control the zone, draw a lot of walks, hit some home runs and, most importantly, be a tremendous leader in the clubhouse. That last part might be the most important part for this Pirates team. This is a young team that has some veterans fighting to extend their careers, but veterans who can lead these young guys are invaluable.

The production that Santana has provided the Twins at first base would be a welcome addition as well. The Pirates added Rowdy Tellez this offseason on a one-year deal worth $3.2 million, while Santana only cost $2.3 million more. Santana has been with the Pirates before and would be a familiar face for a lot of players. His .201/.270/.365 with seven home runs and 80 wRC+ is significantly better than Tellez's .181/.250/.233 slash and 40 wRC+.

Like I stated before, Santana moved on to the Twins on a $5.25 million deal and has been a nice addition to their squad. A veteran switch-hitter with the power output, veteran presence and ability to control the zone is something the Twins will appreciate all year, and the Pirates surely are missing at this point.

Rich Hill, Free Agent

The former Pirates lefty was deal to San Diego last summer for a trio of players. He has thrown over 1,400 innings in his career and is in the twilight of things. As his career winds down, he has voiced other priorities in his life, as he stated he has turned down at least three offers to join a major league ball club in order to coach his 12-year-old son's little league team.

Hill can likely still provide some valuable innings for a team, but he seems to know that he is better suited for half of the season versus trying to make it through a full season at the ripe age of 44. At this time, Hill is still a free agent, and will likely remain a free agent for at least another month or so. A team looking to add some depth at the deadline may opt for the veteran lefty instead of trying to acquire a player and paying the prospect cost.