The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't had the best 2023 season. They still aren't out of it yet; they're 13.5 games behind the leaders of the NL Central: the Milwaukee Brewers. But there's less than a month in the season and the Pirates are fourth in their division and seven games back from a possible NL Wild Card spot.
But the Pirates do have the benefit of being in the NL Central. With all due respect to the Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds, they aren't the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers. The Brewers lead the NL Central with a 76-60 record. The Dodgers' record is 84-52. The Braves have the best record in baseball at 90-46. The Philadelphia Phillies, second in the NL East, have a 75-61 record. They're only a game behind the Brewers.
For that reason, the NL Central is the division to be in. The Pirates are out of contention for the division this season, but a few moves in the offseason could catapult them up the standings next season. The question is, however, who should the Pirates target? There are two impending free agents in mind who the Pirates could acquire to improve their team next season.
Harrison Bader
The Pirates have gotten nearly nothing from their outfield bats. Aside from Bryan Reynolds, who has a hitting line of .264/.323/.461/.784 on the season, the Pirates don't have a single outfielder who has a batting average above .220. Jack Suwinski is the Pirates' starting center fielder. He does have 22 home runs on the season, a slugging percentage of .437 and an OPS of .767, which is fine, but he's also hitting .202 on the year. He's a Joey Gallo all-or-nothing kind of guy.
As a team, there isn't much to write home about regarding the Pirates' hitting either. They rank 27th in batting average on the season as a team with an average of .235. The Pirates also are 22nd in on-base percentage (.314), 25th in slugging (.387), and 23rd in OPS (.700). They need more oomph with their bats, especially in their outfield.
That's why Harrison Bader could make some sense. Bader had a solid season for the New York Yankees this season before the Yankees waived him in hopes of saving money. They did after the Cincinnati Reds claimed him. Bader has career averages of .244/.311/.399/.710, all of which save for his .311 on-base percentage would be improvements over Pittsburgh's team averages.
Bader is also a solid fielder. Not only that, but Bader has plenty of experience in the NL Central after playing for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2017-2022. Bader isn't a superstar, but he's a solid player who should be fairly attainable this offseason. If he is, the Pirates should give him a look.
Lucas Giolito
The Pirates' pitching hasn't been superb this season either. They rank 20th in ERA (4.50) as a team and opponent batting average (.252) as well as ranking 22nd in WHIP (1.38). Mitch Keller is their only starter with at least 50 innings pitched on the season with an ERA below four. No starter with at least 50 innings pitched as a WHIP below 1.2 for the Pirates.
For that reason, a quality starting pitcher like Lucas Giolito should be a priority for the Pirates. Giolito's play plummeted during his brief stint as a Los Angeles Angel, but he's only four seasons removed from an All-Star appearance and ranking sixth in AL Cy Young voting. Giolito had an ERA below four in four of his last five seasons as a White Sock. He probably would be the Pirates' best option if they were to acquire him.
This free agent class is deep with starting pitching options. That could make Giolito not as big a priority for the big teams this offseason and someone like the Pirates could snag him and get good value.
Conclusion
If there's a division where a team could make a couple of offseason moves to vault themselves to the top of the division, it would be the NL Central. The Pirates could be a team that could lift themselves up if they're aggressive in the offseason. A solid outfielder like Harrison Bader and a quality starting pitcher like Lucas Giolito would work wonders for them. What the Pirates decide to do in the offseason will certainly be worth monitoring.
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