Sit back, relax, have a vomit bag by your side, as we go through the Pirate roster and how they performed in 2024. I will discuss whether they should be on the team next year and at the end of this blog write about what the Pirates will need if they are to be successful next year. We are going to look at what each player’s wins above replacement is. Those not familiar with WAR, it is a way of evaluating a player’s overall performance. The way he bats, fields, pitches, and runs the bases. It is simply a number. A number 0 or less says he belongs in the minors. 0-2 he is a good bench player. 2-4 is a starter. 5+ is an All Star. If you reach 8, it means you are an MVP. Trust me you are not going to see any position players for the Pirates over 5. I will admit WAR is not perfect but all in all it is a very good way to evaluate players. We will discuss other aspects of a player’s year when needed. We will look at the comparison stat of OPS+ for hitters and ERA+ for pitchers. Again, this is simply a number with 100 meaning you are league average. Don’t expect to see many Pirates even at this level. To give some perspective Aaron Judge who will most likely be the MVP in the American League has a WAR 10.8 and an OPS+ 223. Pirate faithful can only dream about having such a player. Without further ado here are your 2024 Pirate player performances taking them in the order that you find them on Baseball Reference.
Yasnani Grandal: WAR 0.6 OPS+ 95 Grandal perked up some toward the end of the season but given his age and injury history he should not be back next year. Endy Rodriguez will be returning and I am satisfied with Jason Delay as a backup catcher. The most surprising thing about Grandal is, he graded out an average defensive catcher. I thought he was much worse than that. Regardless he is gone.
Rowdy Tellez: WAR minus O.4 OPS+ 91 Even though Tellez is already off the team there were some out there that thought he should be resigned for the same price. You have got to be kidding. He is a below average fielder and basically a terrible player. Glad he did not get that bonus. Hopefully never to be seen again on any team but I doubt it.
Nick Gonzales: WAR 0.9 OPS+ 96 Gonzales did show big improvement over his smaller sample size 2023, but he is still a below average hitter but not by much. He is an average defender which is not bad. For a free swinger he did not hit many home runs and slugged only .398. Hopefully he will continue to make progress. Most likely will be starting in the infield. Player no. 1 to be back.
Oneil Cruz: WAR 2.4 OPS+113 Cruz is the first Pirate listed that deserves to start in the major leagues. His WAR would be higher if he was not such a horrible defender. Cruz has an unlimited ceiling and coming off his ankle injury, his season was a definite success. He finished poorly at the plate, hitting only .167 over the last 15 games. With a spring training under his belt next year in centerfield let’s hope he gets comfortable out there. A big year from Cruz will go a long way toward making the Pirates contenders next year. Player no. 2.
Ke’Bryan Hayes: WAR 0.8 OPS+ 61 I thought Hayes would be one of the keys to the season and I was right. He never came remotely close to performing the way he did in the last 2 months of 2023. It could have been his back but who knows. There is no question he is an elite defender. His contract is very club friendly. Despite all of that I think the Pirates should cut ties and hope to get a couple of mid prospects. He might be part of a bigger trade but in my mind unlikely.
Bryan Reynolds: WAR 3.7 OPS+ 119 Reynolds had a solid year in 2024 ending a downward slide since 2021. The fact remains he did not approach his 2021 season. It is probably unlikely that he ever will. There is talk of moving him to first base. I don’t have a big problem with that. He is still not a player who is going to put a club on his back and carry it for a couple of weeks. Player no. 3.
Michael Taylor: WAR 0.9 OPS+ 51 Michael Taylor had a bad year at the bat even for him, Still an elite fielder but not enough to compensate for a very weak bat in 2024. Should not be back.
Bryan De La Cruz: A trade deadline pick up that needs to be just thrown away. WAR negative 1.8 OPS+ 77. Those were his numbers for the year. He was even worse than that with Pirates. A negative fielder, I see no plus side to Cruz and he should be dropped like a hot potato.
Andrew McCutchen: WAR 0.8 OPS+ 105 The Pirates had the 20th best DH in baseball. McCutchen took the majority of bats at DH by far. I do not know if the Pirates will resign him. I was ambivalent last year on whether the Pirates should have signed him. This year if this team is really going to improve then he should not be signed. We will see what happens.
Jared Triolo: WAR 1.3 OPS + 71 Another one of the big disappointments this year. He digressed greatly in every offensive area. Batting average dropped 82 points. On base percentage dropped 92 points! Slugging dropped 83 points. He did perk up a bit at the end of the year but he did that last year for a longer period of time. You know that old saying fool me once. Despite that I am willing to give Triolo one more shot because of his versatility, especially if they get rid of Hayes. Player no. 4
Connor Joe: WAR 0.6 OPS+ 92 I did not like that they signed him last year. He got off to a hot start and I felt like I had to eat some crow. His last 30 games his batting average was .167. He should not be on team next year. If he is then 2025 is another loser.
Joey Bart: WAR 2.0 OPS+ 120. Bart had never hit this well in the past but maybe he found something. Regardless he should be the no.1 catcher next year. Player no.5
Jack Suwinski WAR Negative 1.8 OPS+ 63. Another reason the Pirates did not make a run. His production was off by 50%. Didn’t even do that well in AAA with slash line of .239/307/444. Also a negative defender big time. Time to cut him loose.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: His Pirate numbers. WAR .4 OPS+63 The Pirates insisted in using him as a lead off hitter which is the best way to kill an offense that is close to death anyway. Needs to settle into one position with my preference being 3rd base where he won a gold glove. Player no.6.
Henry Davis: WAR Negative .7 OPS+28. Yikes. Did impress in AAA 307/401/555. I don’t think you can give up on Davis quite yet. Player no.7 if he has a good spring.
Ji Hwan Bae. The mystery man of 2024. His AAA Slash line 342/433/504. Why he can’t come close to those numbers in the majors may be one of the big failings of the Pirates. He is one of the fastest men in baseball and an average fielding outfielder. With his tools you would think he would be an asset. A new hitting coach may help both he and Davis. Player no.8
Nick Yorke and Billy Cook: Two late season call ups that seem to have potential. Yorke is only 22 and Cook is 25. They both had their moments but nothing spectacular but it was a very small sample size. One or both could be on the team next year especially if the Pirates trade Triolo.
Before we go to the pitchers it is obvious what the Pirates need. A corner outfielder and a first basemen. Endy Rodriguez if healthy will be player no.9. If they sign McCutchen he will make 10. 3 players need to be obtained by trade or free agency, depending on what they do with the last two young players mentioned and McCutchen. If Reynolds does move to 1st base then 2 corner outfielders will be needed. Now to the pitchers.
Mitch Keller: WAR 2.0 ERA+99. Keller is Keller, a solid mid-rotation starter. Like any mid-rotation starter he is going to have his ups and downs. The only problem with Keller is the Pirate broadcast booth trying to make him into one of the best pitchers in baseball, which he is not. However, a definite asset and pitcher no. 1, rotation.
Bailey Falter: WAR 1.7 ERA+95. After that horrendous 1st start I thought he should never take the mound again. I was wrong on that one as Falter had a very good season considering he had a lot of hard luck, not a lot of run support and most of the time was going up against the other teams best pitcher. All in all he held his own. Pitcher no 2, should be considered for the bullpen with all the help they need.
Paul Skenes: WAR 6.0 ERA+214. What can you say except the Pirates better lock him up on a long term deal. Some people think 25 mil. for 6 years but frankly that is not enough. I think you have to go 30. Do one thing right management, for a change. Pitcher no. 3, rotation ace. Opening day starter.
Jared Jones: WAR 1.8 ERA+101 Jones definitely has the tools. His Achilles heel was the long ball. Had an injury that set him back but unlimited potential here. Pitcher no.4, rotation but could he be the future closer. A novel idea that is way too out of the box for the Pirate brain duds.
Luis Ortiz: WAR 3.1 ERA+126 Many people are saying that Ortiz should be used in a trade to get a bat. No way. Had a great turn around year and needs to stay on this team. Pitcher no.5, rotation but again what better way to shore up the bullpen than using Ortiz as a high leverage set up man.
David Bednar: WAR negative 0.9 ERA+73 By far the most disappointing year of any of the pitchers. His problem was easy to see but evidently hard to fix. Ever since the All Star break of 2023 he has lost command of his secondary stuff. In the first 90 games of 2023 he walked 2 batters and one of those was intentional. Ever since, he walks almost one every outing. You’re not going to get rid of Bednar just because of one bad year. Pitcher no.6, bullpen but what role hard to tell.
Aroldis Chapman: WAR 0.4 ERA+111. Chapman still has the velocity at age 36. The only question with Chapman is would he even want to resign with the Pirates after watching the debacle of this past season. If yes, should the Pirates try to resign him. Short answer, no.
Kyle Nicolas: WAR: 0.2 ERA+106. Nicolas has great stuff but control is the issue. Hopefully someone will finally teach these guys to get the ball over the plate. Pitcher no.7, bullpen.
Colin Holderman: WAR 0.7 ERA+133. Mr. Colin Holderman, I create my own jams and most of the time I get out of them. Had the mysterious wrist injury coinciding with a period of ineffectiveness. I unenthusiastically keep him on the team. Maybe a new bullpen coach helps him. Pitcher no. 8, bullpen.
Carmen Mlodzinski: WAR 0.8 ERA+125. Not quite as effective as he was in 2023, but still solid none the less. Hopefully can stay healthy next year. Pitcher no. 9
Dennis Santana: WAR 1.3 ERA+173. Santana had the best stretch of his career once he got with the Pirates. Whatever he or the coaching staff found let’s hope it lasts. Pitcher no. 10, bullpen
Jalen Beeks and Ryan Borucki: I put these guys together because neither one should be on the team next year. I will admit Beeks’s stats are not that bad but most of those were obtain in low leverage situations. As far as Borucki is concerned he has had physical issues almost every season. He has only appeared in 30 games twice in 7 seasons.
The Pirates should have 2 additions to their staff to start the season Bubba Chandler to move into the rotation and Johan Oviedo coming off Tommy John surgery possibly starting him in the bullpen before easing him in the rotation. That makes 12 pitchers with one more to obtain through trade or free agency. I would not rule out getting a starter by that method. I still think the best way to improve the bullpen is to consider putting Falter, Ortiz, and Oviedo there. Remember no matter how good your starting rotation is, in this day and age it only gets you through 2/3 of the game most of the time. You have to have a good bullpen if you are going to win. The rotation could look like this, Skenes, Jones, Keller, Chandler, New Player with eventually Oviedo starting in case of injury. Ortiz and Falter could move in to start if needed for the same reason.
There you have it, the pathetic 2024 Pittsburgh Pirates. For this team to move out of this mode they will need to add 3 to 4 additional position players, depending if they sign McCutchen, and to add one solid pitcher, whether it be a starter or reliever. To me this is a very tall order for this regime and all of this still does not eliminate Derek The Fox, who will personally lose at least 5 games on his own no matter who is on the field.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 