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Pittsburgh Pirates: Top Five Offseason Priorities

By Bobby Mueller

Sep 27, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A Pittsburgh Pirates hat and glove sit in the dugout prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; A Pittsburgh Pirates hat and glove sit in the dugout prior to the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

After three straight playoff seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates missed the postseason and slipped back below .500 in 2016. What do they need to do to get back to being a contender?

The Pittsburgh Pirates were a disappointment in 2016 thanks in large part to injuries that limited the playing time for number one starter Gerrit Cole, third baseman Jung Ho Kang, and catcher Francisco Cervelli, along with a career-worst season from franchise centerpiece Andrew McCutchen. The middle infield combination of Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer combined for 2.8 wins above replacement (fWAR, per Fangraphs), with both players being below average. Even worse, the pitching staff saw its ERA jump from 3.23 in 2015 (second-best in baseball) to 4.67 in 2016 (22nd in baseball).

The Pirates started making moves to assess the future of the club last season when they traded closer Mark Melancon and starting pitcher Francisco Liriano at the trade deadline. Liriano was expected to be their number two starter after three straight seasons with an ERA under 3.40, but he had a brutal season with the Pirates (5.46 ERA) before the trade. Melancon was as good as ever. He was traded away because he was headed for free agency at the end of this season and the Pirates were looking for young pitchers with years of control. They got a pair of young lefties, Felipe Rivero and Taylor Hearn, in exchange for the last two months of Melancon’s contract.

Finances are always a consideration in Pittsburgh. The New York Yankees have had a payroll over $200 million every year since 2008. The Pirates just had their first season in which they came very close to the $100 million mark ($99,945,500). The Pirates’ highest-paid player in 2016 was Andrew McCutchen, who made $13.2 million. The Yankees had eight players who made $13 million or more.

The plain truth is that the Pirates are on a different level financially than the big spenders. In recent years, they spent well below every other team in their division. That changed this year when the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers went into rebuilding mode. Consider the 2016 Opening Day payrolls of the teams in the NL Central (contract data courtesy Cot’s Baseball Contracts at Baseball Prospectus):

$171.6 million—Chicago Cubs

$145.6 million—St. Louis Cardinals

$99.9 million—Pittsburgh Pirates

$89.9 million—Cincinnati Reds

$63.9 million—Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers and Reds them shed payroll prior to the 2016 season. The Brewers’ payroll was over $100 million in 2014 and 2015. The Reds’ payroll topped $100 million for three straight seasons from 2013 to 2015. This leaves the Pirates in a difficult position. Can they compete with the Cubs and Cardinals, who are able to outspend them by $50 million or more? Or do they rebuild and gear toward the future?

Here are the Pirates’ top five offseason priorities.

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