This weekend I held an AMA on the Pirates’ subreddit, r/Buccos. The full AMA can be found on Reddit, and below are some of the highlights.
u/lebronianmotion: How far away are the Pirates from contending for a playoff spot?
They have one of the best rotations in the game, in my opinion. The bullpen needs at least one more leverage arm, but has some upside. I believe we’ll see Konnor Griffin in 2026, giving them a potential stud up the middle and at the top of the lineup.
The way I view it, they need three bats. Someone at third base, corner outfield and then a wild card, either catcher or DH or in the infield or somewhere else. I believe [Spencer] Horwitz, [Bryan] Reynolds and [Oneil] Cruz are the only hitters who should feel good about their lineup spot right now. Every other position needs an upgrade or at least legitimate internal competition.
I think they can become a contending team this offseason, but it needs to be an aggressive, fruitful winter, unlike the last two.
u/pineal: Does Konnor Griffin start opening day? And do you think he posts an OPS+ over 100 in the majors regardless of when he comes up?
I believe he’s going to go into Spring Training with a chance to make the team. I don’t know how good that chance is going to be — what the Pirates do this offseason is probably going to play some impact — but I don’t see this being a situation like [Paul] Skenes in 2024 when they knew going into camp that he was starting in the Minors to manage innings.
I don’t know how fair it is to put statistical expectations on a teenager before he reaches the Majors, but I think very highly of him and have heard nothing but exemplary things. I think ZIPS had him as a 4 win player out of the gate, and that would not surprise me at all.
u/alarmedanywhere4996: What’s the trade value of [Mitch] Keller? Is [Bryan] Reynolds over the hill?
1. I don’t think it’s as high as what the public might think it is. Keller is a good, reliable pitcher whose contract mostly reflects that. I think most clubs view him as a good middle-of-the-rotation arm rather than a No. 2 or All-Star. I think he could be dealt for either a proven MLB bat with less team control or an unproven prospect/young Major Leaguer with upside but less of a track record.
2. I don’t want to say he’s over the hill. The first couple months of this season were rough, but he had an .816 OPS after the All-Star break, which is right in line with his career average. He downplayed the shoulder injury when I asked him if it impacted the first half of the season, but I have suspicions. No question he needs to have a bounce back year if this offense is going to improve.
u/Outrageous-Rough7774: Outside of Keller, [which pitcher] is the most likely to be dealt for an impactful bat? Could we see Jones, if medically cleared, be dealt in a deal similar to what was reported two years ago (Jackson Holliday for Jared Jones)?
[Johan] Oviedo or [Thomas] Harrington.
I had that Holliday for Jones swap debunked, but they have listened on Jones before. I just don’t see any team being willing to give the massive haul the Pirates would want for a pitcher coming off of elbow surgery.
Bubba [Chandler] isn’t going anywhere. They LOVE [Braxton] Ashcraft. [Mike] Burrows showed them a lot last year.
As far as trades go, Oviedo hits that sweet spot of having a good MLB track record while being affordable and controllable that an acquiring team would want. I don’t see the Pirates trading two of their Major League starters, so if Keller gets dealt, Harrington would be my next pick as part of a package for a more proven MLB bat. There’s upside there, but last year was rough and I think he’s been leapfrogged by some of these other arms.
u/rare_economics8427: Do you think Cutch is coming back?
Right now, I’m leaning towards [Andrew McCutchen] not coming back. He and the organization had some level of frustration with each other this year, and I’ve had several people in the organization opine the last few years that he shouldn’t be playing every day anymore. He wants to play and he wants to win. I don’t know if there’s an opportunity for him to do both that is better than in Pittsburgh, so we’ll have to see.
