Looking at the lineup from last night’s Pittsburgh Pirates loss, I’m trying to imagine where the upgrades could come from this offseason. Here was the starting nine:
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa isn’t the ideal option at shortstop, nor as the leadoff hitter. He is a high OBP guy with speed who can play defense at short. It’s unlikely the Pirates find a shortstop upgrade over him, though they could upgrade the leadoff spot.
- Bryan Reynolds has been in this spot all season, and has spent months hitting like an elite number two hitter. He’s in left field at the moment, and I wonder if the Pirates might change his position in the future. I think he’s locked in as the number two hitter.
- Joey Bart was batting third, and playing behind the plate. The Pirates have Henry Davis on the injured list, and Endy Rodriguez returning on rehab. That will likely be the trio of catchers next year.
- Andrew McCutchen has been an above-average hitter in the league, and one of the best and most consistent hitters for the Pirates. He should return to the Pirates next year, though ideally in a role where he won’t be needed for top-four production.
- Nick Gonzales was in the number five spot, playing second base. He’s got some competition for 2025, which was present in the lineup on Wednesday.
- Bryan De La Cruz was in right field, though his position becomes unclear when Oneil Cruz is in the lineup. That gives De La Cruz competition off the bench.
- Nick Yorke was at third base. The position should go to Ke’Bryan Hayes, who will hopefully be healthy in 2025. Yorke provides one of several internal backups to Hayes. He could also compete with Gonzales at second, and spell Kiner-Falefa at shortstop. After five hits in the last two games, Yorke is making a very early case to be the Jared Triolo of 2025, getting a call to the MLB bench on Opening Day.
- Jared Triolo batted eighth, playing first base. This is where I see the Pirates in need of an upgrade, though it would be unlikely to be a leadoff hitter. They could add some power to the middle of the lineup, even if it’s by bringing back a platoon option like Rowdy Tellez. They could also use this position as fallout for the catching trio. As for Triolo, I think he will have some competition on the bench next year.
- Billy Cook played in center field, but can play first base and all three outfield spots. He could factor into the playing time of De La Cruz, backup Cruz in center, or be an option at first base if the Pirates need him there.
I think the bench is looking better in 2025, with Yorke, Cook, Triolo, De La Cruz, Davis, and Rodriguez as options. The versatility of Yorke and Cook will be valuable, especially if the Pirates carry three catchers.
For the lineup, the Pirates will need a power bat at first base, while also ideally looking for a better leadoff hitter who might factor into the outfield situation.
Three Pirates Observations
The Pirates lost 10-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. Here are three things that stood out to me from the loss:
- Billy Cook hit his first Major League homer, launching a three run shot in the sixth inning. Nick Yorke also had two hits. Both were upgrading the bottom of the lineup on Wednesday night, which I think is good. The Pirates have needed rookies and young players to carry this team for too long. Even on Wednesday, they had Nick Gonzales batting fifth. To his credit, Gonzales went 2-for-4 with his 18th double of the season. The bottom of the Pirates lineup has been horrible this year, and Yorke and Cook could provide a realistic boost there and off the bench, rather than being needed to be middle-of-the-order hitters.
- Colin Holderman pitched a scoreless inning for the second appearance in a row. Holderman has allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings with the Pirates this month, with a 5:4 K/BB. The good news is that he hasn’t allowed a home run, after running into issues with the long ball in late July and early August. The Pirates have had an inconsistent bullpen, and it’s good to see Holderman finishing his year on a stronger note.
- On that note, David Bednar allowed three runs, two earned, with this being the third time this month he’s allowed a run in an appearance. The Pirates removed him from the closer role at the end of August, and he has a 5.14 ERA in seven innings this month, with a 6:8 K/BB. Jalen Beeks also allowed three runs. Any time I see Beeks pitch, I always check the stats of Luis Peralta, who the Pirates traded for Beeks about seven weeks ago. Peralta has 9.1 scoreless innings in 11 appearances with Colorado in the Majors since the trade, with a 9:5 K/BB. Beeks has a 3.93 ERA in 18.1 innings with the Pirates since the trade, with a 15:8 K/BB. The Rockies will have Peralta under team control through the 2030 season, while Beeks is a free agent this offseason.
Pirates Transactions
The Pirates placed Kyle Nicolas on the injured list and called up Jake Woodford for Wednesday’s start. They also made a few minor league moves, with Indianapolis being the only remaining team on the schedule. Read about all of the latest Pirates Transactions.
Pirates Prospect Watch
Endy Rodriguez has played rehab games in Indianapolis on back-to-back nights. He played a complete game at catcher on Tuesday, and was the first baseman on Wednesday. He homered on Wednesday night. That game also had Thomas Harrington on the mound, and the Triple-A debut of Eddy Yean. Read about them all in the latest Pirates Prospect Watch.
