Who Could Pirates Use As Trade Chips to Acquire Hitting?
Year 5 of the process under Ben Cherington and Derek Shelton resulted in being somewhat contenders at the trade deadline, to a second half free fall.
The Pittsburgh Pirates ended the 2024 campaign having the same identical record as last season at 76-86. Offense was an Achilles heel for them all year. The Bucs’ team OPS of .672 was last in the National League, while they set a franchise record, for most strikeouts in a season. This incompetence led to the organization firing Andy Haines as the hitting coach on September 30th.
A bright spot for the Pirates is their pitching depth - more particularly within the starting rotation. Knowing that the team needs to obtain quality hitting, which pitchers could Cherington look to trade, in order to get some more offensive help? Here are the possible trade chips.
Bailey Falter: Brought over from the Philadelphia Phillies, in a one-for-one at the 2023 trade deadline, for infielder Rodolfo Castro, Bailey Falter came out of spring training, grabbing one of the spots in the Pirates’ rotation.
Despite significant uproar from the fans and media - based on the way he performed in spring - Falter turned into a respectable, starter this year. In a career-high 142.1 innings, he registered a 4.43 ERA, along with a 4.31 FIP, and a bWAR of 1.7.
The 27-year-old southpaw won’t become arbitration eligible until next offseason, so there’s a lot of team control. While Falter probably wouldn’t be able to land the Pirates an impactful bat, they could still get back something decent, especially if contenders are in need of a left-handed arm, to pitch in the back of the rotation.
Colin Holderman: In the first half of ‘24, Colin Holderman was lights out, to the point that most considered him an All-Star snub among NL relievers. A rough month of August really personified the Pirates’ second half collapse.
Even with the struggles in August, Holderman’s overall numbers were still impressive, posting a 3.16 ERA, and limiting opponents to a .691 OPS against.
Heading into the offseason, Holderman will be of pre-arbitration status. A solid, reliever, with that much club control, can interest several suitors looking to bolster the bullpen. A Holderman trade would likely net Pittsburgh back a couple of good hitters; one of which being MLB ready.
David Bednar: The 2024 season is one that David Bednar is quickly putting in the rear view mirror, as he posted an ERA of 5.77, in 62 appearances.
Strangely enough, Bednar’s fastball velocity this season was the best of his big league career at 97.2 mph. However, opposing batters were squaring up soundly on it, and the bigger issue -more so- was the lack of swing & miss with his pitches.
Bednar is in his second year of arbitration eligibility, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting his figure at $6.6 million.
While Bednar is a year removed from an All-Star season, his ‘24 could not have been more disastrous. Obviously, trading away this version of Bednar wouldn’t get the Pirates the type of hitting they’re looking for. Given that he still has two more years of control, there isn’t a rush to move him at this point.
Luis Ortiz: Without question, one of the most pleasant surprises for the Bucs this year, on the pitching front, was Luis Ortiz.
After beginning the season in the bullpen, Ortiz got a chance to rejoin the rotation, this after Jared Jones was placed on the injured list in early July with a lat strain. Once he started again, the pitching remained solid, for Ortiz, as he posted a 3.27 ERA in 15 starts.
It’ll be interesting what the Pirates do with Ortiz in the offseason. The 25-year-old righty had his best personal season, so it would be easy to sell high, especially given the fact that he doesn’t become a free agent after 2028. With Pittsburgh having more promising pitchers on the horizon, it might be tempting, to trade Ortiz, and get a nice, package involving quality hitters.
Mitch Keller: Coming off a year, in which he set the single season franchise mark, for most strikeouts by a right-handed pitcher, Mitch Keller inked a five-year, $77 million dollar extension in February; the largest guaranteed money deal given to a pitcher in Pirates’ history.
Keller had a tale of two halves in ‘24. The first half consisted of a 3.46 ERA, while second half was more bleak, with an ERA of 5.65. The long ball became a problem for Keller in the second, surrendering 1.6 HR/9, as compared to a 0.9 during the first half.
It’s probably fair to assume that Pittsburgh would be able to field several trade offers for Keller this winter, but would the organization be willing to? And if so, would the addition be worth the subtraction?
Keller has been an innings eater for the Pirates, and is a much improved starter, which provides value alone. With the rotation being a big strength for them, trading Keller would seem to defeat that purpose, even if they’re able to acquire a hitter of real value. From a PR standpoint, it also might not be the best look to move Keller, as he was just signed to an extension earlier this year.
Another way the Pirates could go to get offense is going the prospect route. At this year’s trade deadline, Cherington was involved in a prospect swap, as he dealt RHP Patrick Reilly to the Baltimore Orioles, in exchange for IF/OF Billy Cook.
If Cherington wants to try another trade of that type, then expect names like Hunter Barco and Mike Burrows to be trade bait. Depending on what level of impact bat is needed, perhaps a more attractive option like Thomas Harrington could land them that particular return.