Pittsburgh Pirates: First Basemen to Target in Free Agency

These first basemen will be free agents this offseason, could they make sense as targets for the Pittsburgh Pirates?

No. 1 Rhys Hoskins

While it's unlikely to happen, the top free agent first baseman available is Rhys Hoskins. With first base being arguably the biggest need for the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason, Hoskins needs to be mentioned.

A torn ACL in spring has cost Hoskins his 2023 season. However, he is said to possibly be available during the playoffs if they make a deep run, although it's still unlikely he would be able to return. His true value is around $15-25 million, which means the Pirates are already out of the race unless they shock everyone. Along with not wanting to spend the money, it was already unlikely since it seems he wants to spend the remainder of his career with the Phillies.

No. 2 Joey Gallo

Since getting traded to the Yankees, Joey Gallo's whole career has fallen off. In his previous 237 games with the Yankees, Dodgers, and Twins, his batting average was .168. But the main part of his game that's been helping is that he has 104 walks, leading to an on-base percentage of .290. While still low, he isn't struggling as badly as some might think.

An OPS+, where a league average is 100, shows that last season his was 80, and after 111 games with the Twins, it's back to 100, meaning he is a league-average hitter. He's mostly an outfielder but can play first and third base. His value is around $10-15 million, so he's still unlikely to get signed by the Pirates, there is a chance his contract value could be lower due to how he has struggled with top teams.

No. 3 Brandon Belt

Brandon Belt has been in the Majors since 2011, the same year as Mike Trout. While he hasn't played like Mike Trout, he has had an above-average career so far with a career OPS+ of 124, compared to the league average of 100.

While struggling last season, he has completely rebounded this season with the Blue Jays. In 96 games, he has an average of .252 and an on-base percentage of .371, while slugging 16 home runs. His OPS is an elite .844. While he doesn't have a long-term future at first base due to his age, he could be a good short-term player worth around $5-15 million a year. Acquiring him in free agency could be a steal.

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.

No. 5 Carlos Santana

Since getting traded to the Brewers from the Pirates at the deadline, Carlos Santana has expressed interest in wanting to return to Pittsburgh, and many Pirate fans have also shown interest in wanting him back too.

At age 37, Santana brought something new to the Pirates' team in 2023, which was leadership. He was able to make connections with the young talent from his native Dominican Republic while also uniting the whole team around him. While he is entering the final seasons of his career, a place in Pittsburgh is ready for him, and it seems after his career he could even take up a spot in coaching.

No. 7 Garrett Cooper

While being around league average with both the Marlins and Padres after being traded, he is a filler first baseman. He's around league average if not below league average defensively; he is more of a hitter. While not fitting the mold of a "Moneyball" player, he can hit around .260-.280 a season with around 10 home runs, if he stays healthy and plays a full season.

His asking price is low as he hasn't played too much. Now 32, turning 33 by the start of next season, he's more of a player you can count on, unlike some of the players on this list, and with one of the lowest values on the list too, I would snag him up.

No. 8 Yuli Gurriel

Yuli Gurriel, the Cuban-born player, did not debut in MLB until he was 32. Now, at age 39, he has more accomplishments than most 39-year-olds: winning two World Series, a Gold Glove, and a batting title.

This former Houston Astros player would be a good signing for cheap, with a track record of consistency. In 85 playoff games with the Astros, he has a career batting average of .267 with an on-base percentage of .321. While he has struggled the past 2 seasons, being a below-average hitter and fielder, his potential outshines the risk of $2.5-5 million. Being a good contact hitter who doesn't strike out much and walks quite a bit, with a batting average of .248 and an on-base percentage of .305 this season, it shows he isn't the typical Moneyball player. But who knows, with the right coaches, he could hit 31 home runs again like he did in 2019.

No. 9 Darin Ruf

While being the final free agent on this list and the second oldest at age 37, Ruf has been hurt for most of this season. I would avoid Ruf at all costs. His best season was in 2021, but since then, he has been nothing but an upsetting player to watch.

While he is decent offensively, his defense is so bad that the risk of even giving him the league minimum is still too much for most teams to take. While I would sign him to a minor league contract to try and see if he can turn it around, I would never give him an MLB contract because he will cost you essential games that could be important down the line in the playoff run.