3 players for Pittsburgh Pirates to target this offseason
By David Hill
The Pittsburgh Pirates are very slowly starting to put a core together.
With Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, and Oneil Cruz, there are reasons to hope that the lineup can start to be more dangerous. Roansy Contreras, Mitch Keller, and Johan Oviedo could be a solid trio atop the starting rotation. David Bednar has the ninth inning locked down. And with coming prospects such as Quinn Priester, Endy Rodriguez, and Henry Davis, the Pirates would seem to have a bright future that could be closer than expected.
Three players for Pittsburgh Pirates to target
While the future may be bright, that does not change the present. And the reality is that the Pirates are likely going to struggle again in 2023. They are not about to spend lavishly in free agency, especially at this point in their rebuilding process, making more one year stopgaps the likely path. Maybe that will change at some point, but that time is not now.
The Pittsburgh Pirates will likely focus on reclamation projects and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. Let’s look at three players they could target.
Tucker Barnhart
Although the Pittsburgh Pirates have intriguing prospects behind the plate, they are still a year or two away from the majors. What they had as major league options last year simply could not handle a starting role.
As it stands, the Pirates do not have a single catcher on their major league depth chart. Endy Rodriguez and Ali Sanchez are the only catchers on the 40 man roster. It is a position that is set for a stopgap until either Rodriguez or Henry Davis are ready to take over.
Tucker Barnhart could be the perfect option in the interim. He is not exactly an offensive dynamo behind the plate, posting a .221/.287/.267 batting line with one homer and ten doubles in his 308 plate appearances. He will not exactly do much to improve the Pirates’ offensive production.
But Barnhart is a brilliant defensive catcher. A two time former Gold Glove winner, he is the type of veteran presence behind the plate that could make a difference in the development of the Pirates’ young arms. He could also be a trade chip at the deadline, especially as teams look for upgrades at the position, even if it is a backup role.
Tucker Barnhart is not the type of free agent that will excite anyone. Nonetheless, he could make a difference in the future of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ young pitchers.