Pirates make headway toward goals at Winter Meetings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Pirates headed to baseball’s Winter Meetings with a lengthy to-do list. It was a little bit shorter as they left the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh’s rotation is a little deeper, thanks to trade acquisition Marco Gonzales. He established himself as an innings-eater in Seattle before a left forearm strain limited him to just 50 innings for the Mariners last season. The Pirates were opportunistic when Gonzales went to Atlanta on Sunday night in the Jarred Kelenic trade, and after researching his medical history, they quickly put together a deal before leaving the Winter Meetings.

“We feel pretty good about where he is physically,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “He’s into his training, into his throwing. He’s been training at Driveline, and we get information from there. A left-handed starter at PNC [Park] is always desirable for us. It’s an opportunity to add someone to our rotation who has filled that role really well in the past, and do it in a way that allows us to pursue other options also.”

Moreover, Cherington said, the Pirates have more clarity on what those options are, from a better read on free-agent prices to trade options and other teams’ needs. That work might not bear fruit right away, but it should pay off as the offseason rolls on.

DEALS DONE
• Acquired Gonzales and cash considerations from Atlanta for a player to be named later or cash.

• Signed right-hander Ben Heller to a Minor League contract with a Spring Training invitation.

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
Re-sign Andrew McCutchen: It’s an obvious move, and it’s still expected to come together, but it hasn’t happened yet. McCutchen’s days as a full-time outfielder appear to be over, but even as a primary DH, his 113 OPS+ last season would be a boost for a team looking to improve its offense.

Starting pitching: Gonzales joins Mitch Keller as the only healthy, established starters in Pittsburgh’s rotation. They need more, and Cherington is still looking.

“We have hooks in the water, different kinds of hooks,” Cherington said. “Hard to predict when these things go, but we’ll certainly work to add more to our rotation. … We’re focused on and optimistic that we’ll be adding more quality to our rotation over the course of the next several weeks.”

First base: The Pirates have part-time options, but they would prefer to have a full-time player at the position for offensive and defensive reasons. That market could wait a little while, since there’s limited competition. But it’s also the easiest area where Pittsburgh could bolster its lineup.

“The market’s fairly formed out. We’re engaged in it, and we’ll see what’s there,” Cherington said. “[We] would obviously like to add someone to that position for 2024. Also interested in longer-term options. It’s an area of the organization we don’t have a clear [option] longer term, at least clearly right now.”

RULE 5 DRAFT
The Pirates did not take anyone in the Major League portion, but they selected three players in the Minor League phase. Former D-backs 1B/DH Seth Beer might be the most interesting, given Pittsburgh’s need at first. He has a .586 OPS in 43 career MLB games, but he batted .273 last season with 15 homers, 66 RBIs and an .816 OPS in 102 games between Triple-A Reno and Double-A Amarillo.

“He was an elite performer in college and got through the Minor Leagues pretty quickly,” Cherington said. “He probably got into a situation in Arizona where he was behind some guys. Hopefully, this is a fresh start for him. We’re looking to add left-handed-hitting corner bats, and he’s one.”

Beer went in the same portion of the Rule 5 Draft where the Pirates selected Joshua Palacios a year ago, a move that paid dividends at the big league level.

Righty reliever Fineas Del Bonta-Smith posted a 5.40 ERA in 35 games for the Rockies’ Double-A Hartford affiliate, but he struck out 55 batters over 45 innings. Third baseman Marcos Cabrera hit .212 with a .642 OPS in 65 games for the Yankees’ High-A affiliate.

GM’S BOTTOM LINE
“I think the number is going to be above where we landed last year. Generally speaking, as we get better, I expect the payroll will continue to climb with us. The motivation is that I expect we can push that as we get better. It’s the chicken or the egg, but the competitiveness can help that. That’s the way we’re operating, and it’s very clear to me that we have resources we can use this offseason to make the team better.” – Cherington, on the team’s payroll