Pittsburgh Pirates: First Basemen to Target in Free Agency

After trading away Carlos Santana, the Pirates decided that, instead of calling up a prospect like Malcom Nunez, the best bet was to have Connor Joe play first base, even though he struggles mightily defensively.

Championship Series - San Diego Padres v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Four
Championship Series - San Diego Padres v Philadelphia Phillies - Game Four | Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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No. 4 CJ Cron

While struggling this season with the Rockies and Angels, CJ Cron has a good track record of hitting well. While many would say most of his home runs are because of the Coors effect, he also had three seasons of 16 home runs with the Angels and a 30 home run season with the Rays, along with a 25 home run season with the Rays. While many people keep underrating him, Cron has been proving people wrong almost his whole career.

At age 33, while his power is starting to decline, he has been around league-average. But if he can change his swing, he could return to prior seasons of dominance. With a lower value of between $5-10 million, it would be around the same cost as the Pirates spent on Carlos Santana in 2023.

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