Pirates Inbox: What's left on the to-do list before ST?
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This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
It¡¯s a new year, and we¡¯ve got a fresh set of questions today. I took to Bluesky and X to ask for questions for my final offseason Inbox (we¡¯re almost to Spring Training, after all).
From the outfield, free agency and some young hitters looking to bounce back in 2025, let¡¯s answer some questions.
It¡¯s a new year, and we¡¯ve got a fresh set of questions today. I took to Bluesky and X to ask for questions for my final offseason Inbox (we¡¯re almost to Spring Training, after all).
From the outfield, free agency and some young hitters looking to bounce back in 2025, let¡¯s answer some questions.
What¡¯s left on the Pirates' bucket list before the start of Spring Training? -- @MrEd315 on X
Bucket list or shopping list? I could recommend some restaurants in Bradenton, Fla., if it¡¯s the former.
The Pirates are still on the market for a corner outfielder and bullpen help. They¡¯ve checked in on Randal Grichuk and Alex Verdugo, per Mark Feinsand, and both have appeal. Grichuk had a solid bounceback campaign with the Diamondbacks after a couple of middling seasons, hitting .291 with 12 home runs and an .875 OPS over 279 plate appearances. Verdugo had a down year offensively, but he still was a solid fielder and showed some positive traits at the plate, like a low whiff percentage.
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The bullpen has had some depth signings (Elvis Alvarado, Yohan Ram¨ªrez), but they still need a left-hander and another leverage arm after Aroldis Chapman signed with the Red Sox. There¡¯s roughly a month before camp opens in Bradenton. They¡¯ll need to add to that group.
What is the word on Jack Suwinski? Think he will still make the club? -- Nick Raymond via email
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Suwinski had a rough 2024. He was also one of their more promising young hitters in 2022 and ¡¯23. The fact the Pirates are shopping for corner outfielders says a lot about his ¡¯25 status, but they haven¡¯t given up on him. A rebound year where he could produce numbers similar to ¡¯23 (26 home runs and a .793 OPS) would be as good of an addition as almost any available free agent. You can¡¯t count on that type of production, but he at least offers some depth at the moment.
What should I expect from Endy Rodr¨ªguez this year? -- @Robotron.blog on Bluesky
The good news is Rodr¨ªguez finished last season healthy and got a couple of Minor League reps. No winter ball this year, but I wouldn¡¯t read into that.
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Joey Bart has the inside track for the catcher job after a solid season, but the position is a competition. Rodr¨ªguez can play a little first base, too, so while Pittsburgh is going to want to make sure he gets at-bats, I could see a way he and Bart can coexist and get regular reps.
Rodr¨ªguez is a good receiver, his pitchers love throwing to him and he has potential as a hitter. He¡¯ll still need to grow offensively (and probably get his game-speed timing back), but I¡¯d count on him being in the 2025 mix in some capacity.
What is the top position battle you¡¯re looking forward to this Spring in Bradenton? -- @SteelCityDW on X
Not to sound redundant, but for me, it¡¯s catcher, and it has a lot to do with Henry Davis. He isn¡¯t going back to the outfield, and he showed enough last year defensively to keep him behind the plate. It was a rapid amount of growth in one offseason. He needs to show he took a similar step forward this offseason, but as a hitter this time.
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Davis didn¡¯t produce last season. He still has the potential to do so much more, not to mention the work ethic to try to realize those goals. I believe a winter in the hitting lab is what he needed, and I¡¯m intrigued to see what that swing will look like come Spring Training.
Who¡¯s a prospect that¡¯s under the radar that could have an impact on the 2025 season? -- @CaliBuccosFan on X
Assuming they¡¯re healthy, Bubba Chandler (Pittsburgh¡¯s No. 1 prospect and No. 15 in baseball, per MLB Pipeline), Braxton Ashcraft (No. 4; No. 85) and Thomas Harrington (No. 5; No. 91) should all debut in 2025. They all could be impact pitchers, but we also know about them. Who is the sleeper in the system?
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Let¡¯s go with a reliever. Eddy Yean was part of the Josh Bell trade in 2020, so he¡¯s been in the system for some time. His results last year for Double-A Altoona were fine, albeit not remarkable (3.45 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 21 walks over 73 innings), but the stuff is there. His fastball sits in the upper 90s, and he gets 2,500 RPM of spin on his slider. There¡¯s a lot to iron out, but he¡¯s 23 and has stuff. I could see him being on the Major League radar if he continues to grow.