Pittsburgh Pirates: An Early Look at 3 Free Agents to Target This Offseason

This offseason the Pittsburgh Pirates will have multiple holes they need to address. Let's take an early look at three potential free agent targets for the Bucs.

It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Pirates have shied away from splashing in free agency in their history. Their largest free agent contract in team history is the second deal Francisco Liriano signed with the team after 2014 for 3 years and $39 million, which is quite depressing when you think about it.

That being said, the team spent just north of $30 million this past offseason, nearly double from the previous year ($16 million). There's no reason we shouldn't expect that number to go up again. The team will be entering Year 5 under Ben Cherington, and while there has been some progress made this year in filling certain positions, there are others that will need to be addressed externally. That is if the team is serious about wanting to win games soon.

Disclaimer: This is not a prediction of who the Pirates will sign this winter, but merely a list of players that are hitting the open market who would fill the needs on the Pirates' roster nicely. These three players would not only be affordable for the Pirates, but they would fill their biggest needs entering 2024 with consistent production.

Let's get into it!

First baseman Brandon Belt

Aside from Starting Pitching, this is the other glaring need for the 2024 Pirates. After trading away Carlos Santana and Ji Man Choi, the team seems to be rolling with Alfonso Rivas and Connor Joe the rest of the way for this year. Perhaps we'll see a September call-up for Malcolm Nuñez, but unless he sets the world on fire, the Pirates will likely have to head back to the free agent market to fill first base again.

If the Pirates were truly serious about competing next year, they'd make a run at trying to sign Rhys Hoskins, but we're trying to at least be semi-realistic here. Brandon Belt is enjoying a nice bounce-back year where is slashing .254/.370/.453 with a 130 wRC+ in 84 games up to this point. His left-handed swing would fit nicely at PNC Park, and he'd bring a similar veteran leadership presence to what we saw with Santana earlier this season. He's making $9.3 million in 2023.

The Pirates would probably have to overpay for him as the free agent options for first base are quite shallow. However, "overpaying" for Belt would still be substantially less than the $20 million or so AAV you would have to give to Hoskins, and Belt isn't coming off of a significant injury either. Unlike Hoskins, I think there's a real possibility of this one actually happening. Belt seems like exactly the type of player Ben Cherington would covet to fill the need at first base, and it would definitely be a great fit.

Right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen

That's right, another starting pitcher. You might've heard this name last week after he tossed a no-hitter in just his second start with the Phillies, and he would be a fantastic option to help solidify the Pirate rotation.

Whether you want to call it developmental failure or bad luck, the Pirates simply have not had the success they'd hoped for with their young starters this season. Both Roansy Contreras and Luis Ortiz regressed significantly, and Quinn Priester has looked quite poor since his call-up last month.

Before the season, if you had told any Pirates fan who pays close attention that all three of those names would be duds, they probably would have called you insane, yet here we are. Unfortunately, we're at the point where the only two locks for the Opening Day 2024 rotation are Mitch Keller and Johan Oviedo.

Therefore, the Pirates need at least two starters this offseason if they are serious about winning in 2024. They cannot be the bargain bin or reclamation project types, either. Rich Hill and Vince Velasquez were serviceable before they were traded/injured, but the Pirates need to be aiming for a level higher than this if they actually want 2024 to be the year they turn the corner.

has a 3.23 ERA and 1.9 fWAR in 122.2 innings this season, and was the lone Tiger All-Star before they shipped him to Philadelphia at the deadline. He's signed for $8.5 million currently, and the Pirates should be able to give him a nice raise while still remaining comfortably within their budget. He would be a great addition to any team's rotation, but particularly the Pirates who severely lack experience and consistency with their starters.

Obviously, you cannot expect the Pirates to sign all three of these players. If they could even get one of these names, that would greatly improve their chances in 2024. While the Pirates have had some unfortunate things happen with their starting pitchers this year, the free agent class is one of the deepest we've seen in a while for pitching. There's a bunch of other names not included here that they can get to help bolster their rotation, so they'll have a great opportunity this offseason.