Pittsburgh Pirates: Three Outfielders to Potentially Pursue

Still in need of outfield help, could one of these options fill that hole for the Pittsburgh Pirates?

The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting to reach a pivotal point in recent history where they need to reinforce the roster as a whole and fill the team full of players that could lead a contender deep into the postseason.

The Pirates probably won’t be the best in 2024, finishing around fourth in the division, but the window of contention really opens after this upcoming season. One main hole seems to still be the outfield, which the Pirates continue to try to fill, but it doesn’t seem to have the best footing with two spots taken by both Jack Suwinski and Bryan Reynolds. They still need an All-Star caliber player to fill the outfield since depth like Joshua Palacios and Edward Olivares isn’t enough.

There are still many free agents the Pirates are likely to consider, but they should also attempt to move some assets to acquire more talent that isn’t as expensive as making a splash in free agency.

No. 3 Free Agent, Michael A. Taylor

Quite a few Pirate fans have been intrigued by free agent Michael A. Taylor, who happens to be one of the best defenders in recent years. However, his problem is he doesn’t hit for a high average and is likely due to regression. In his career, his hitting has been very hit or miss, with most of his value coming from his fielding. But in 2023, he started to slug home runs like crazy, finishing the year with 21. However, that likely won’t happen again and was caused by an increase in his barrel rate, which in his career has been below-average to elite, depending on the season.

Taylor’s main attraction would be the fielding ability he would add, with his 90th percentile arm strength and range, as well as an 87th percentile in total arm value, marking him as one of the best. He would fit quite well into the Pirates’ current system, where they like to attempt a lot of steals and double-steals.

He hasn’t fully proven himself as a base-stealing threat, but if molded right, he could become a part of a championship-esque team like the 2015 Kansas City Royals, who had power-hitters like Mike Moustakas, Kendrys Morales, and Salvador Perez, paired along with good contact hitters like Lorenzo Cain, Alex Gordon, and Eric Hosmer, as well as speedy players like Alcides Escobar, Jarrod Dyson, and Cain.

To start the 2023 season, the Pirates play very aggressive baseball, like the 2015 Royals who went on to shock everyone by winning the World Series, despite the lack of elite players, compared to the stacked 2015 New York Mets.

No. 2 Trade, Lane Thomas

The Washington Nationals still have quite a bit of time remaining before they are fully ready to compete, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they attempted to trade a player like Lane Thomas, who has interest from quite a few teams.

Thomas is by no means considered one of the best outfielders, but he has one of the most valuable arms in the outfield with some of the best arm strength you can find. However, his range is quite lacking, which prevents him from winning gold gloves. In 2022, Thomas started to break out, but in 2023 he finally did when he hit 28 home runs while batting .268 on the less than stellar Nationals.

He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017 for International Slot Bonus money from the Blue Jays and later got traded to the Nationals in 2021 for Jon Lester. In the minor leagues, he showed he had power, but his lack of walks could be a problem, like Tim Anderson had in 2023 with his regression making him nearly unplayable.

Thomas probably won’t be the most expensive, but he is very risky. He could continue to break out late in his career like players such as Adolis Garcia and prove himself worth acquiring, which is what the Pirates should do since you have to risk it for the biscuit.

The current outfield holds Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski, while Suwinski plays solid defense, Reynolds has been one of the worst. Adding another speedy power-hitter like Thomas could be similar to acquiring another player like Taylor, but at a younger age and a long-term cheaper option, which is what the Pirates like to hear the most.