MLB announced the order for the competitive balance picks in the 2023 draft and the Pittsburgh Pirates got the worst possible outcome. It was already decided before this year that they would pick after the second round (they will pick after the first round in 2024), but today it was announced that the Pirates will have the final competitive balance pick. There were six teams in the pool for the competitive balance round B, so it was possible to pick up to five spots earlier in the draft if they did better during the season (explanation at the bottom of the article), though that would have worked against them in every other round. The actual spot for the pick itself will be decided once the qualified free agents sign.
The link above has details about the free agents who will be the deciding factor in where this pick ends up. In the past it has been around the 70th-75th overall range. The Pirates are in the lottery for the top six picks that will take place next week. They will end up somewhere between the 1st pick overall and the ninth pick.
