It was a season to forget for a young, 100-loss Pirates team in 2022.
The team has a promising young core though with some players that debuted this season and could be coming next up in 2023.
With the offseason here and the team already making moves, let’s check out some players who would make sensible additions for the 2023 squad (i.e. not Aaron Judge or Justin Verlander):
Sean Manaea
The 6’5” lefty would add some variety to what is a very righty forward Bucs’ rotation as of right now.
Not only that, but Manaea is a solid veteran who has more service time than anyone else in question for the rotation right now and would give the team a dependable arm at the top of the rotation.
Manaea certainly had a down season in his short stint with the Padres, being the first time his WAR dipped into the negatives and having a career worst 4.96 ERA, but is a prime candidate for a bounce back season.
It helps the Pirates case that his walk year was so poor because they now have the potential to bring in a impact arm that could fit in any rotation for a reasonable price.
It’s easy to forget that as recently back as the 2021 season, Manaea was the ace of the Oakland A’s rotation, throwing almost 200 strikeouts and 2 complete game shutouts over a major league leading 32 starts to a 3.91 ERA.
He could also take up a mentor role for a lot of the young arms coming up through the minors, like Quinn Priester, that can see how a seasoned major league arm gets through his season.
It’s easy to say this is a move that could benefit both parties, Manaea can revitalize his career in what is a, sadly, low pressure environment of Pittsburgh, and the Pirates would get someone that can give them innings, a chance to win, and potentially flip for younger talents down the line.
Recommended signing: 2yr/$20mil.
Omar Narvaez
The Pirates have a huge need for a reliable catcher. Yes, they have two promising young guys in Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis coming up through the minors, but they most certainly won’t be starting, or even in the majors for that matter, when the season gets underway.
Omar Narvaez, like Sean Manaea, is coming off a really poor season and in desperate need of a bounce back year.
Narvaez is a one time all-star and considered a catcher that can actually provide some offensive depth to a line-up. There have only been two years that Naravaez has hit below .265, the 2020 COVID year and last year.
Het hit a disappointing .206 last year with the Brewers and was down in almost every offensive category there is, but that by no means affected his defensive presence behind the plate. He has always been a good defender with a strong arm capable of throwing guys out on the bases.
Barring any injury, I think it’s near impossible for such a consistent, good hitter like Narvaez to have an offensive season like he did last year. Your probably better off searching for a unicorn. He’s an intimidating lefty bat that can easily swing for 20 homeruns in a season as well.
Also, like Manaea, given either of the catching prospects do make their debut next season, Naravez could be a huge asset in easing them into a starting role for once he departs.
Recommended signing: 1yr/$8mil
Kevin Kiermaier
This one may seem strange, but only comes amid of the Bryan Reynolds trade situation. If Reynolds is to go, the Pirates will need to have some sort of veteran presence in the outfield.
I see no better fit for this than Kevin Kiermaier. Anyone who hears Kiermaier immediately thinks of his insane defensive capabilities, he held down centerfield for the Tampa Bay Rays for over 9 years winning a multitude of gold gloves and even a platinum glove.
He has never been known as much of an offensive threat, but has been able to keep his bat consistent enough to stay in the line-up, averaging around 15 homeruns and a .240 batting average throughout his career.
Like the rest of the picks on this list, Kiermaier can act a s a huge asset for the Pirates in terms of mentorship and clubhouse synergy.
Kiermaier has always been considered a fan and teammate favorite with the Rays and the Pirates are a team in desperate need of that kind of boost, similar to when the Phillies signed Andrew McCutchen.
He definitely can’t run on the base paths as well as he used to, but is still one of the few players out there that could be considered a pure centerfielder. He would add rotational depth to any outfield.
You can’t lie and say it wouldn’t be a ton of fun to watch Kiermaier roam the PNC Park outfield, making home run robbing catches in front of the Pirates shrub; anything else you get out of him is a plus.
Recommended signing: 3yr/$32mil
With the MLB Winter Meetings only a week away, it will be interesting to see which route Ben Cherrington and the Pirates choose to move forward with for the 2023 season. Hopefully we can get a Pirates team that can stay away from 100 losses.