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. 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.

Next. Bounce back prospects . Pirates Prospects Who Had Bounce Back Seasons. dark