One realistic remaining free agent at each position for the Pirates to pursue

This off-season has left many free agents on the market. The Pittsburgh Pirates shouldn't call it quits just yet, and consider these realistic remaining free agents.

The first Pittsburgh Pirates Spring Training game is just over a week away. But this off-season has been so slow and has left many noteworthy free agents still without a team. Most of the top names are still searching for a contract for 2024. Because of this, I doubt the Pirates are done, even with the first pre-season games just around the bend.

While I doubt the Pirates will go after the top names like Jordan Montgomery or Cody Bellinger (although that would be fun), there are still some realistic names to go after at each position. By realistic, I mean players who probably won’t sign for more than $8 million a season.

Just because I list a player doesn’t mean I think the Pirates should go after them. For example, I’m going to list a third baseman on today’s list. The Pirates don’t need a third baseman, nor do they need a backup third baseman, as they currently have Jared Triolo on hand, but I am going to list one for the sake of the article. I will also discuss if the Pirates should or shouldn’t consider them under their current or future circumstances.

Catcher - Manny Pina

Manny Pina has missed most of the last two years. He’s appeared in just nine contests since the outset of the 2022 season. However, from 2017 through 2021, Pina was a very solid backstop for the division rival Milwaukee Brewers. During that six-season stretch, Pina turned in a .245/.316/.416 triple-slash, .313 wOBA, and 92 wRC+. He regularly provided the Brew Crew average power with a .171 isolated slugging percentage in this span.

But Pina’s defense was his calling card during his time in Milwaukee. He racked up +38 defensive runs saved and +10.4 framing runs during his time catching Brewers’ pitchers. He also only allowed a dozen passed balls in 2407.2 innings. The last time Pina caught regularly was in 2021 when he registered an above average 1.94 second pop time with his throws averaging 81.2 MPH.

Even though Pina was solid at one point, that was two seasons ago at this point. He’d have to settle for a minor league contract at this point. But I doubt the Pirates would sign Pina at this point unless there was an injury. There’s already a back-log at catcher with four on the 40-man roster. While Pina likely would take up a 40-man spot, the Pirates have larger needs than stashing a fifth catcher at Triple-A.

First Base - Donovan Solano

In my opinion, Donovan Solano is one of the most underrated position players left on the free agent market. Since his return to MLB in 2019, Solano has consistently been a solid batter, hitting at least .280 with a wRC+ of at least 100 over the last five seasons. He’s still a free agent despite coming off one of his better seasons.

Last year, Solano hit .282/.369/.391 through 450 plate appearances for the Minnesota Twins. Solano had a 22.2% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate, both of which fall right around the league average. Solano has never been known for his power, and he had just a .109 isolated slugging percentage last year. But he did have 26 doubles, and there’s potential for more power next season. Overall, he had a quality .338 wOBA and 116 wRC+.

Solano has some raw power. He was in the 68th percentile of exit velocity at 90.2 MPH and 65th percentile of hard hit rate at 43.7%. Solano’s slugging percentage was just under .400. But his expected slugging percentage was slightly better than average at .439. He also had a .351 xwOBA, 13 points better than his wOBA. A .350 wOBA and .440 SLG% is akin to what Alex Bregman, Xander Bogarts, or Paul Goldschmidt did last year.

Solano has experience at both infield corners as well as second base. He doesn’t grade out as an excellent defender wherever he plays, but he can hold his own at whichever infield position he’s asked to play. Solano has experience at shortstop, but he hasn’t played a single inning there since 2021 and hasn’t logged more than 15 innings at short since 2019.

Solano only signed for $2 million last off-season. The Twins had reportedly considered bringing Solano back into the fold after they had traded infielder Jorge Polanco earlier this off-season, but that was at the start of February. The Pirates do have Jared Triolo, who can play all of the positions Solano can play but to a Gold Glove level. But if the Pirates end up trading Liover Peguero or Nick Gonzales, I think they should consider Solano.

Second Base - Tony Kemp

It wasn’t all that long ago Tony Kemp quietly had an extremely productive season at the plate. In 2021, Kemp batted .279/.382/.418 with a .351 wOBA, and 128 wRC+ in 397 plate appearances. Kemp had a higher walk rate than strikeout rate at 13.1% and 12.8%, respectively. While his .139 isolated slugging percentage was above average, Kemp finished the year as a +3.1 fWAR player.

After a down season in 2022, where his wRC+ dipped to just 91, Kemp had his worst full season yet. In his last 419 plate appearances, Kemp had just a .209/.303/.304 triple-slash, .276 wOBA, and 77 wRC+, a far cry from the near 130 wRC+ he posted just a few years prior. Kemp still had a better walk rate (10.5%) than strikeout rate (9.5%), but that’s the only silver lining about his bat from 2023.

Defensively, Kemp was a solid glove at second base in 2021-2022 with only -2 DRS but +5 OAA. He was also decent out in left field with +2 DRS and zero OAA. However, just like his bat, his glove also had a career-worst season. He had -9 DRS and zero OAA at second base and -3 DRS and -1 OAA in the outfield.

Given Kemp’s last two seasons and his declining defensive value, Kemp will probably have to settle for a minor league contract with a Spring Training invite. That’s the only way I’d be okay with the Pirates bringing Kemp in. I think they have better options at second base and left field, even if they make a trade, but having him as this year’s Chris Owings, who only comes to the Majors in the event of an emergency, would not be a bad idea. The Pirates reportedly considered Kemp earlier this off-season.

Third Base - Gio Urshela

Gio Urshela will be looking to rebound after missing a good chunk of 2023. The infielder only had 228 plate appearances, batting an uninspiring .299/.329/.374. Urshela got some hits but few XBH. His isolated slugging percentage was below .100 at .075. While Urshela only struck out 15.8% of the time, he also rarely drew a walk with a 4.5% BB%.

2023 wasn’t a great year for Urshela, but he had a strong stretch of seasons from 2019 through 2022, where he batted .290/.336/.463 with a .340 wOBA and 119 wRC+. Urshela had a worse K% throughout these four seasons at 19.3%, but he also walked slightly more frequently with a 6.3% walk rate. Plus, he hit for average to above-average pop as his ISO clocked in at .173.

He has always gotten mixed reviews for his defense at third base, with +10 career DRS but -18 OAA. Urshela has experience at all four infield positions. He saw 150.2 innings across the diamond at first base, where he graded out as an average defender, and he’s also logged innings here and there at both second base and shortstop.

Urshela will likely look to sign a rebound contract. I don’t see how he would be a fit on the Pirates, given that he wouldn’t overtake Hayes or Triolo at third base or Rowdy Tellez or Connor Joe at first base. But, like with Solano, a trade could open up the possibility of the Pirates pursuing another utility infielder.

Shortstop - Amed Rosario

Amed Rosario was once considered one of the best prospects in all of baseball with the New York Mets. Although Rosario never matched his expectations, he still had some solid seasons with the Mets and in Cleveland. A down season in his contract year has left him mostly forgotten about on the free-agent market.

Rosario batted a meager .263/.305/.378 with a .297 wOBA and 88 wRC+ for the Guardians and the LA Dodgers, to whom he was traded to at the deadline. Rosario has never walked much in any season of his career, and his 5.3% walk rate is pretty good for him. His 18.8% strikeout rate also falls in line with his expectations. But compared to what he did in 2019 through 2022, this was a massive downturn in production with the bat.

During that four-season stretch, Rosario turned in a .282/.315/.412 triple-slash, .312 wOBA, and 101 wRC+. He had a lowly 4.4% walk rate but a quality 18.9% strikeout rate. His .130 isolated slugging percentage may not have been good, but significantly better than his .116 mark in 2023. He provided both a little bit of power and base running prowess as he reached double-digit marks in home runs and stolen bases each full season (not counting 2020).

At the very least, Rosario was still productive against left-handed pitching last season. He batted 282/.326/.442 with a 112 wRC+ when facing opposite-handed opponents. He hit for a lot more power as he had a .160 isolated slugging percentage against lefties. Rosario has always been better when facing a lefty.

If Rosario was a more competent defensive shortstop, he would likely have signed with a team by now. Over the last three seasons, he has -19 defensive runs saved and -25 outs above average. 2023 was a horrible year for him up the middle with -16 DRS and -11 OAA. After Rosario was traded to the Dodgers, he played a decent amount of second base, where he looked better with +3 DRS and zero OAA, but it was in just under 200 innings at the keystone.

Rosario is still only 28 but will likely have to settle for a low-cost contract. He can provide some defense at second base, occasionally play some shortstop, and still hit left-handed pitching to a good degree. He could give some depth to the bench, and I wouldn’t be shocked if the Pirates considered bringing him in on a one-year deal of around $2-5 million if they traded Nick Gonzales or Liover Peguero.

Center Field - Michael A. Taylor

Michael A. Taylor had previously been connected to the Pirates as a free agent they were pursuing. That was earlier this off-season, and there have been no other significant developments in Taylor’s market. That being said, Taylor would be a great fit for the Pirates’ line-up as he’d provide both power and an outstanding outfield glove.

Taylor’s offense was good but not great. In 388 plate appearances, the center fielder turned in a .220/.278/.442 triple-slash, .308 wOBA, and 96 wRC+. His OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ are about what center fielders across baseball hit last season. Taylor went yard 21 times and had a .223 isolated slugging percentage. He was 6th among primary CFs in ISO. But he only walked in 6.7% of his plate appearances and struck out just over a third of the time with a 33.5% strikeout rate.

Of course, his calling card is his defense. Taylor racked up +5 DRS and +8 OAA. He has one of the strongest outfield arms in baseball, as his throws averaged 91.5 MPH, which was in the 90th percentile of players. He’s also plenty fast and was in the 85th percentile of sprint speed. Believe it or not, but this was a down season for him, defensively. In 2021 and 2022, Taylor had an impressive +38 DRS and +23 OAA. No other outfielder had more than Taylor in both cumulative stats.

If the Pirates signed Taylor, they’d be able to put their best defensive foot forward in the outfield. This would leave Bryan Reynolds in left field, Taylor would cover center, and Jack Suwinski would share right field with Edward Oliveras.

Right Field - Randal Grichuk

Randal Grichuk was formerly a long-time rival as he spent his first four MLB seasons on the St. Louis Cardinals. Last season, Grichuk started the year off hot with the Colorado Rockies but fell off down the line for the LA Angels. But he is a solid platoon bat who can play all three outfield positions and is still looking for a team to play with in 2024.

Grichuk hit .267/.321/.459 with a .333 wOBA, and 100 wRC+. Grichuk has never been one to draw many walks, and he had just a 6.2% walk rate last year. But he combated that with a career-best 20.4% strikeout rate. Grichuk hit 16 home runs in 471 plate appearances, marking the eighth straight season he’s reached that many home runs (not counting 2020) with a .191 isolated slugging percentage.

Most of the damage Grichuk did was against left-handed pitching. He had a .995 OPS, .415 wOBA, .279 ISO, and 155 wRC+ in 134 plate appearances vs Southpaws. Few batters were as good against left-handed pitching as Grichuk, who ranked in the top 15 in OPS, wOBA, and wRC+ among batters with at least 130 PAs.

Grichuk has had better years with the glove in the past. He had -1 DRS and -7 OAA in the outfield. Most of his innings came in left field, but he has more logged in center field and right field in his career. He saw an ample amount of time at each position in 2023 and he graded out best in right field.

Grichuk isn’t a bad player, but I think that if the Pirates were to sign another outfielder, they would go after Taylor, Pham, or Adam Duvall, someone I wanted to mention but had nowhere to put him. Grichuk can hit for power but does most of his damage against left-handed pitching, and while he can play the three outfield spots, Pham, Duvall, and Taylor are all superior defenders and could probably play on a more regular basis.

Designated Hitter - Daniel Vogelbach

The Pirates signed Daniel Vogelbach in the 2021-2022 off-season to serve as their designated hitter. He was then traded to the New York Mets at the trade deadline for now right-handed set-up man Colin Holderman. After a strong 2022 season, Vogelbach’s production took a step back in 2023, and he was let go by the Mets after last season.

While he may not have been able to match his 2022 peak, Vogelbach was not an awful hitter last year. In 319 plate appearances, the designated hitter batted .233/.339/.404. His .171 isolated slugging percentage was above average, and he walked in 13.1% of his plate appearances. His 25.4% K-rate wasn’t great, but it’s manageable. Overall, he had a .327 wOBA and 109 wRC+, making him a safely above-average batter in the 2023 season.

Vogey also had a great second half. Through his final 122 plate appearances of the season, he slashed .245/.344/.481 with a .381 wOBA and 129 wRC+. He had a hard hit rate at 50% and a 14.9% barrel rate. Vogelbach hit for a decent amount of pop, as he had a .236 isolated slugging percentage. His ISO was higher than Freddie Freeman and Rafael Devers in the second half, and he ranked 26th among all batters with 120+ plate appearances in barrel rate.

I think if the Pirates hadn’t signed Rowdy Tellez, they would have considered bringing Vogelbach back into the fold. But the former Pirate would probably sign a relatively cheap deal. He only made $1.5 million last season, and I doubt he’d get any sort of raise from that. The only thing is that Vogelbach would have to play more first base again, which he hasn’t done semi-regularly since 2021.

Starting Pitcher- Michael Lorenzen

The Pirates have been connected to a few starting pitchers, but one is Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen’s 2023 season was a tale of two seasons. He opened the season in arguably the most pitcher-friendly environment you could possibly think of in 2023 but then ended it in one of the most hitter-friendly environments of 2023.

Lorenzen owned a 3.58 ERA, 3.86 FIP, and 1.10 WHIP with the Detroit Tigers this past season. He only had a 19.9% strikeout rate, but he dished out a free pass to a meager 6.5% of opponents. Plus, he had a solid 0.94 HR/9 rate. Then he got traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he then went on to post a 5.51 ERA, 5.81 FIP, and 1.46 WHIP in 47.1 innings. His strikeout rate fell to 13.6%, while his walk rate rose to 9.7%, and his HR/9 jumped to 1.71.

But the difference in environment couldn’t have been much more different. Comerica Park is one of the largest parks in baseball and is considered a pitcher's haven. Meanwhile, Citizens Bank Park is a hitter’s paradise. The Tigers had +22 DRS and -8 OAA as a team, while the Phillies had -30 DRS and -3 OAA. The American League Central had just one team finish above .500. The National League East had three teams with a .500+ record, including the 104-win Atlanta Braves.

Lorenzen would have a much more pitcher-friendly environment if he signed with the Pirates. PNC Park is much less hitter-friendly compared to Citizens Bank Park, the Pirates’ defense is much better than the Phillies’, and the National League Central probably won’t have the best team in MLB competing in the same division.