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P2Daily: The Pirates Have Prospect Depth Where They Have Needs

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I think the biggest complaint that can be levied against the Pittsburgh Pirates right now is how long their rebuild is taking.

The Pirates are heading in the right direction from a farm system standpoint. In fact, if you look at some of their needs, and line those needs up with system strengths, you see more of a fully shaped plan.

For example, the Pirates need catching. Ben Cherington made that a priority in 2021. He added Endy Rodriguez in the Joe Musgrove trade. Then, he drafted Henry Davis first overall that summer. That was followed by smaller trades for Carter Bins and Abrahan Gutierrez. They even let Blake Sabol move behind the plate, which has paid off for some extra depth.

One of those catching prospects is bound to work out, and it’s impressive how much depth at one position Cherington has acquired. Every hopeful contender needs catching, and the Pirates have gone from nothing to extremely strong depth at the position.

As we kind of pointed out in last week’s Roundtable, there are a lot of needs on this team. Alex Stumpf of DK Pittsburgh Sports spoke with Ben Cherington yesterday, who acknowledged the need for a first baseman and rotation help.

Not all of the help will come from the farm system. But the Pirates do have options at each position. The 2023 season should mark the debuts of Quinn Priester and Mike Burrows to the rotation. As for first base, the Pirates have upper level options that include Mason Martin, Malcom Nunez, Aaron Shackelford, Matt Gorski, and other players who might not be playing first base as their primary position.

There are options within the system for the Pirates’ needs. The 2023 season should see the farm fill some of those needs. With the right additions from the outside, the Pirates could be an entertaining team to watch next year.

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Tim Williams
Tim Williams
Tim is the owner, producer, editor, and lead writer of PiratesProspects.com. He has been running Pirates Prospects since 2009, becoming the first new media reporter and outlet covering the Pirates at the MLB level in 2011 and 2012. His work can also be found in Baseball America, where he has been a contributor since 2014 and the Pirates' correspondent since 2019.

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