Pittsburgh Pirates: Checking in on Players Traded This Past Offseason

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a handful of trades last offseason, some big and some small. However, how are the guys they did move last offseason doing now?

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a fairly eventful 2022-2023 offseason, and made trades that moved the needle to a degree. Sure, none of the moves were “over-the-top” kind of trades, but they still dealt a handful of players. Most were prospects, though one was a major leaguer.

We’re nearing the end of the 2023 campaign, and going into the home stretch. Pretty much all the trades the Pirates made last off-season have had their chance to grow and see how it will likely play out in the long run. Sure, one season doesn’t always make or break a deal, though some are already greatly showing favor, in most cases to the Pirates.

But where are the players the Pirates traded last offseason? How are they doing this year with their new team?

Jack Hartman

Jack Hartman was the Pirates’ 4th round pick back in 2020. An under-slot deal, Hartman was a relief pitching prospect out of Appalachian State. Hartman barely pitched in the Pirates’ system, undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to 2021, and tossing just 18.1 innings in 2022. He allowed 13 earned runs while walking 16, showing off some good stuff, but a whole lot of command issues.

The Pirates sent Hartman to the Tampa Bay Rays in a one-for-one swap for Ji-Man Choi. Hartman is currently at the Rays’ Low-A affiliate, where he has a solid 3.64 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 1.45 WHIP through 47 frames. Hartman has struck out 27% of the batters he’s faced with a workable 10.5% walk rate. He’s also only allowed two home runs with a ground ball rate at 50% on the dot.

While on the surface this does look like it could work out for the Rays, keep in mind that Hartman is already 25 and the Rays have yet to feel inclined to promote him above Low-A. Hartman throws hard, coming in around the mid-90s, though has some obvious command issues. The Pirates already traded Choi, including him in the Rich Hill swap for Alfonso Rivas, Jackson Wolf, and Estuar Suero.

Nick Garcia

Nick Garcia was a fellow member of the Pirates’ 2020 draft class. A righty out of Chapman University, Garcia didn’t do terrible in 2022, though it was nothing to write home about either. Last offseason, the Pirates sent him to the Colorado Rockies in a one-for-one swap for outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe.

Garcia has greatly struggled in his first year in Colorado’s system. In 83.1 innings, Garcia owns a terrible 7.34 ERA, 5.71 FIP, and 1.68 WHIP. A .349 batting average on balls in play isn’t doing the right-hander any favors. But some bad batted ball luck doesn’t cover for the uninspiring 19.2% strikeout rate, or the worryingly high 1.84 HR/9 rate. The only number worth mentioning here is his walk rate at 8.7%.

Kevin Newman

At one point, Kevin Newman looked like he could potentially fit into the Pirates’ long-term infield plans. But his offensive production took a significant nosedive after his strong 2019 rookie campaign. After regaining some value in 2022, the Pirates sent him to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for righty reliever Dauri Moreta. So far, it doesn’t look like Newman will be part of the Reds’ infield plans after 2023 either.

Newman is slashing just .253/.311/.364 with a .296 wOBA, and 77 wRC+ through 253 plate appearances. Newman is once again striking out at a low 13.4% rate, but his 6.7% walk rate is below average. Newman has never hit for power, and although his .111 isolated slugging percentage is the best he’s had since his rookie year, it’s still nothing to brag about.

Newman has been used all over the Reds’ infield. He’s graded out as about a league average defender at second base, third base, and first base. However, he’s having the worst defensive season of his career at shortstop. In just 148 innings, he already has -6 defensive runs saved and -3 outs above average. Aside from 2021, Newman has always graded out as a below average defender, though this is by far his worst year with the glove at short.

Zach Thompson

Zach Thompson was a main part of the Jacob Stallings deal back in the 2021-2022 offseason. After an underrated rookie campaign, Thompson entered the year with the hopes of locking down a potential long term rotation spot with the Bucs. However, he greatly struggled to a 5.18 ERA, 4.87 FIP, and 1.51 WHIP through 121.2 innings. Thompson struggled with home runs with a mediocre 1.41 HR/9 rate while posting a horrible 16.1% strikeout rate. Of the few positives, he did have a solid 8.5% walk rate.

Thompson was traded last off-season to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Chavez Young. The right-hander has yet to appear in the big leagues for the Jays in 2023, spending the entire year at Triple-A. He’s pitched to a 4.70 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 5.36 FIP. Granted, he has pitched in a fairly hitter friendly league, and that’s still a solidly above average ERA and WHIP, but it would be hard for Thompson to find major league innings on a deep Blue Jay pitching staff at this point of the year, unless there is a multitude of injuries down the line.

Bryse Wilson

Bryse Wilson has been the most successful of any of the players the Pirates traded last off-season. Wilson was the other player included in the Richard Rodriguez swap. A former consensus top 100 prospect with Atlanta, Wilson got his first real shot at a Major League starting rotation role, but failed to capitalize. Wilson pitched to a 5.52 ERA, 5.06 FIP, and 1.42 WHIP through 115.2 innings. Wilson had an outstanding 6.3% walk rate, but it was overshadowed by his lowly 15.5% strikeout rate, and his 1.56 HR/9 rate. Wilson did do better after July and a demotion to the minor leagues,

Wilson was then traded to the division rival Milwaukee Brewers this past season for cash. The right-hander has carved out a niche for himself as a long-reliever, pitching 60 innings in 41 plate appearances. Wilson has a 3.15 ERA, 4.18 FIP, and 1.08 WHIP. He's kept up a 6.1% walk rate, but has upped his strikeout rate to 20.2% and has lowered his HR/9 to 1.20.

Hoy Park

The next and final two players were both acquired in the Clay Holmes deal at the 2021 trade deadline. Hoy Park was one of the two infield prospects the Pirates got. Park got a handful of games played in his brief tenure with the Pirates. However, he hit just .202/.293/.348 with a .281 wOBA, and 73 wRC+. Although Park did walk 10.5% of the time, he struck out in just over a quarter of his plate appearances (25.4%), while providing below average pop (.146 isolated slugging percentage).

Park was then traded to the Boston Red Sox last offseason for teenage right-hander Immer Lobo. Park’s tenure in Boston was fairly short-lived, as he was then sent off to the Atlanta Braves. Park has not played in the bigs this season. He’s posted a .271/.386/.393 triple-slash for the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate. This has amounted to a 103 wRC+. While these are solid numbers, the Braves have ten players with an OPS+ of 95 or greater in at least 200 plate appearances. It would be hard for Park to even find a bench utility role right now for Atlanta.

Diego Castillo

There was hope that Diego Castillo could carve out a potential infielder/utility role with the Pirates last season. However, the bat never came around, and aside from middle infield, Castillo was a poor defender. Castillo hit .206/.251/.382, posted a .282 wOBA, and 71 wRC+. Although Castillo hit for a respectable amount of power, hitting 11 home runs and having a .176 ISO, it was the only good thing he brought to the table. He struck out 26.5% of the time with an unplayable 4.9% rate.

The Pirates then traded Castillo to the Arizona Diamondbacks this past winter. Castillo has appeared in just one contest with a single plate appearance to his name in 2023. He’s spent nearly all of the campaign at Triple-A, where he is currently hitting .322/.423/.421. He currently has a higher walk rate (15.1%) than strikeout rate (14.2%), though he’s hit for very little power (.098 ISO). Overall, he has a 115 wRC+.