The major league baseball off season is just starting to heat up, and the Pittsburgh Pirates intend to be right in the middle of the action.
The Bucs have already seen late-summer pickup Marlon Byrd leave town, parlaying his tremendous comeback season into a two-year contract from the Philadelphia Phillies worth $16 million. Whether the Pirates had planned on keeping Byrd around or not, the organization was not going to be anywhere near that level of contract for the outfielder. The Pirates have several in-house candidates for their right field spot in 2014, including holdovers Jose Tabata and Travis Snider and prospects Andrew Lambo and Gregory Polanco.
The Pirates are also awaiting a decision from SP A.J. Burnett as to what the future holds for the veteran right-hander. Burnett is deciding between retirement and coming back for another year in Pittsburgh, so he says. The Pirates have stated that they are open to bringing back their clubhouse leader and workhorse starter, so long as the two sides can work out a deal that fits the Pirates payroll situation. Other free agents from the Pirates 2013 team are SS Clint Barmes, 1B Justin Morneau and C John Buck. Barmes is expected to resign, given his close relationship to manager Clint Hurdle. Both Morneau and Buck would seem to be on their way out of Pittsburgh, although the club has expressed interest in keeping Morneau.
With the majority of their young playoff nucleus signed through at least 2017, the Pirates can concentrate on shoring up the positions where they need everyday starters, improving their bench and finding another dependable veteran starting pitcher regardless of what happens with Burnett. The free agent position player class is loaded with top-heavy talent like C Brian McCann, 2B Robinson Cano, CF Curtis Granderson, CF Jacoby Ellsbury, RF Shin-Coo Choo, RF Carlos Beltran and RF Nelson Cruz. The odds of seeing he Pirates linked to any of these names are remote, as all will command massive multi-year deals out of the Pirates economic range. Where the Bucs could find some true value is in the mid-range tier of players, and it seems that Bob Nutting and company are willing to open their pocketbooks if the right player falls in their laps.
One position the Pirates could definitely find themselves in the market for is first basemen. The market looks to be soft, and the Bucs may be able to work out a deal with Morneau. Many had expected Morneau to return to Minnesota, where he still resides with his wife and two children. However, the Twins have already announced that former catcher and franchise icon Joe Mauer will be moving to first base full-time in 2014. Morneau is still a fine defensive player, and he may not want to end up in an extended designated hitter role yet at age 33. There does not seem to be a multi-year deal out there for Morneau, given his injury-prone status. The Pirates could make a one-year offer in the range of $7-8 million with incentives for games played, statistical plateaus, etc. If the team is looking to find a long-term solution at first base, there are several other potential free agents who might fit the bill.
The other top first base free agents this winter are switch-hitting Kendrys Morales, Mike Napoli and Corey Hart. Morales is the top prize here, still only 30 years old and coming off of a season in which he hit .277/23/80 for a bad Seattle team. Morales has put together two straight productive seasons after missing all of 2011 with an injury. He will be looking for a two-or three-year deal in the neighborhood of $10m per season. He is also represented by agent Scott Boras, who will do everything he can to max out a deal for Morales.
Napoli has proven to be one of the more consistent power hitters in baseball, despite being diagnosed with avascular necrosis (AVN) in both hips last offseason. That diagnosis forced Napoli to renegotiate a signed three-year $39m deal with Boston down to a one-year $5m deal. The Red Sox made the right choice in standing by Napoli, and he rewarded them with a .259/23/92 season in which he was a vital part of the Red Sox World Series championship team. After playing 131 games at first base in 2013, Napoli will be looking to finally grab that long-term deal this winter. A three-year deal worth $35-40m is in his future, numbers that would not work for the Pirates.
Hart missed all of the 2013 season with a knee injury, but seems to be fully healthy after his representatives posted a public video of his recent workouts. Hart is intriguing if only because he will forced to take a below market-value deal this winter. His offensive track record was impressive from 2010-2012, as he averaged close to 30 HR and hit .270 or better each season. Pirates fans have gotten to know Hart well while he was a thorn in their side with the Milwaukee Brewers, and his gritty all-out style of play would make him an instant fan favorite with the blue collar Pittsburgh fan base. Odds are that Hart will fit into the same financial wheelhouse as Morneau, taking a one-year deal worth $7-8m. Hart would fit the payroll, and his versatility as an outfielder would fit the roster needs of the Pirates, who could utilize him at both first base and in right field.
One player who could be a steal this winter is 1B James Loney, a free agent who played for Tampa Bay in 2013. Loney does not fit the stereotype of a power-hitting corner player, never hitting more than 15 home runs in a season. What Loney brings to the table is stability is batting average and an ability to get on base, as well as a decent glove at first base. After hitting well above .300 during the first half of 2013, Loney hit a wall in August and September, only slugging .348. When he has been given the opportunity to start every day, Loney has been a .285/15/80 type player. After spending the first seven years of his career with the Dodgers, Loney spent the last few months of 2012 in Boston before signing with a one-year $2m deal with the Rays last winter. Still just 29 years old, Loney could be had on a two-year deal worth around $6-7m per season. He is an intriguing possibility for a team like the Pirates, who could definitely use a consistent non-platoon type player at first base. For his career, Loney is a .295 hitter against righties and a .256 hitter against left-handed pitching. This would be an upgrade for Pirates fans, who have watched players like Garrett Jones flail away against southpaws for the past few years. Deeper, scrap-heap options at first base would include Carlos Pena, Kevin Youkilis, Mark Reynolds and Mike Morse.
If the Pirates do not feel that Tabata is the answer in right field, they may opt to give top prospect Polanco a shot in spring training. Polanco is another young player cut from the Starling Marte mold. The 22-year old worked his way up from Class A Bradenton to Class AAA Indianapolis in 2013, and in between he posted a .263/6/41 line in AA Altoona (286 plate appearances). Polanco may not yet be ready for the big leagues, and many don’t expect he will arrive until July.
Lambo had a fantastic 2013 season, earning a mid-season call-up to Pittsburgh. The 25-year-old hit a combined 32 homeruns and drove in 99 RBI between Altoona and Indianapolis. Lambo struggled in his first major league experience, but finished the season with a bang – hitting a massive home run in Cincinnati on the last Saturday of the season. If the Pirates can’t find a rightfield solution in-house, they will go to the free agent pool.
While players like Beltran, Choo, Granderson and Ellsbury are out of the Pirates price range, interesting targets remain. Cruz was one of the most prolific power hitters of the past five years before getting tangled up in the Biogenesis scandal and serving a 50-game suspension last season. Still, he is a tempting player who may end up getting a well-below market contract due to that issue. Cruz is 33 years old, and despite missing those games, he still managed to hit 27 home runs and drive in 76 RBI. His right-handed bat would fit in well behind 3B Pedro Alvarez, who would see a lot more fastballs with the threat of Cruz behind him. Expect a team like the Mets to offer a three-to-four year deal worth $12m per season to Cruz. If the Biogenesis stink is still with him, he may hang around long enough for a team like the Pirates to sign him to a one-year deal for $7-8m.
After the top five, the outfield free agent talent nosedives. Options such as Jason Kubel, Chris Young, Rajai Davis and David Murphy are all players who could be had for considerably minor deals. Kubel seemed to be ready to bust out after a .253/30/90 2012 season with Arizona, but he tanked in 2013 and completely disappeared after a midseason trade to Cleveland. Still, at 31 years old, the talent is there for a comeback and Kubel could be had on a one-year, $2-3m deal. If he regains his power, he could be an absolute steal for some savvy team.
Young was a top prospect with the Diamondbacks who seemed to be settling into a solid 20/20 candidate back in 2010. After fizzling out in 2011 and experiencing injuries in 2012, he played last season for Oakland. Despite another down year, Young still has the power/speed potential, along with a great outfield glove. A one-year, $3m contract could bring him to PNC Park.
Pirates fans will remember Davis as one of the Pirates prospects in the early 2000’s. After drifting around the majors for a few years, Davis has turned into a speedy forth-outfielder type who can play all three outfield spots and steal 40-50 bases. The Pirates have a ton of speed in Andrew McCutchen and Marte, adding Davis as a platoon right-fielder would create the fastest outfield in the big leagues. He will get a major league deal, but lacks the ability to be a starting player. An interesting scrap heap project for a team that has the roster flexibility of the Pirates, Davis will come at a very reasonable price.
If the Pirates decide to allow Barmes to walk and go with Jordy Mercer as their everyday shortstop, they could find a solid backup infielder to spell him late in games. Brendan Ryan is a valuable veteran bench player who can play any infield position, and is as good or better than Barmes at shortstop. Ryan will probably end up signing a minor league deal with a spring training invite for a National league team. Former Texas Rangers stalwart Michael Young is another solid if unspectacular option for a bench role. He is a player looking to play for a contender, as he chases an elusive World Series ring. Young can still hit, can play 1B/3B/2B, and would add another veteran clubhouse presence on a team that could be losing Burnett. Utilitymen Willie Bloomquist, Jerry Hairston Jr., Jamey Carroll and Kelly Johnson are all versatile players who would add another dimension of production to the Pirates bench.
The Pirates are in a position to utilize the free agent market to bolster a playoff-quality roster, a spot they have not been in for decades. With some money to play with, GM Neil Huntington could find value in any of these players, and continue to build on the success of 2013 without impeding the progress of their top-ranked farm system. It is an enviable spot to be in for any GM, and hopefully the Pirates allow Huntington the chance to use it to his advantage.
