Pirates president goes in depth on Deadline, Draft

This story was excerpted from Justice delos Santos’ Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

When Pirates president Travis Williams joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company were on the verge of securing the franchise’s first championship of the millennium. Williams understands that there’s a certain energy that’s created when a team begins winning. The Pirates, in his estimation, pass the vibe check.

“I think comparing the two sports is very, very difficult. But I think the atmosphere and the vibe, yes,” Williams told reporters on Tuesday. “There’s a real belief among this group, which is a large part why some of those veterans wanted to be here. There’s a real belief among that group, rightfully so, that we have something special happening here and that it’s going to happen.

“Whether that’s this year or in the next couple of years, it’s going to happen. We’re going to be in a good position to win, in a division and get into the postseason. We feel confident of that.”

Prior to the Pirates’ 4-0 loss to the Cubs on Tuesday, Williams discussed several topics with reporters.

State of the team

If nothing else, the Pirates’ season has been eventful.

The Pirates began the year by going 20-9; followed it up by going 8-18 in May; and are currently 6-11 in June and riding an eight-game losing streak. As bad as the last week has been, the Pirates (34-38) remain just four games behind the Reds (39-35) for first place with plenty of season left.

“We’re not as good as we were in April, but we’re probably not as bad as we were in May,” Williams said. “Hopefully, we’ll settle into something that continues to allow us to be in contention for the division and make the playoffs. That’s certainly our hope. I know the recent [eight]-game slide here hasn’t been what the fans want, nor what we want. I think we’ll be able to turn it around and get back on track and hopefully get closer to April and put a streak out there and get back to that playoff contention.”

Deadline, Deadline

In the past couple of seasons, the Pirates have unquestionably been sellers at the Trade Deadline. Considering they’re in the mix for the division, it’s in the realm of possibility that they transition into buyers.

Will the Pirates sell the farm and go all-in this year? Highly unlikely. Can they still supplement their current core? Absolutely.

The Pirates could use reinforcement on their roster. Their starting pitching depth has taken a hit due to the loss of Vince Velasquez, JT Brubaker and Mike Burrows, as well as the decision to transition Roansy Contreras to the bullpen. The offense, currently mired in a funk, could use another solid, reliable bat. The bullpen was one of baseball’s best early on but looks different due to moves and injuries.

“I think we’re going to make the decisions that are best for us, not only in 2023, but also long-term because we want this to be a sustainable championship-caliber team,” Williams said. “[GM] Ben [Cherington] and I will have that conversation as we get closer to the Trade Deadline. I think it would be silly for me to sit here and forecast what the Trade Deadline looks like and what moves we’re going to make. At the end of the day, we want to win. We want to be a winning team, not only this year, but for the long-term as well.”

Extension talk

The Pirates have made two sizable financial commitments in a 12-month span, signing Ke’Bryan Hayes to an eight-year, $70 million contract extension in April of 2022 and Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year, $106.75 million extension this past April. With Hayes and Reynolds signed, more deals could be on the horizon.

The two likeliest extension candidates on the current roster are Mitch Keller and Oneil Cruz. Keller, in particular, revealed in May that he and the team have discussed a contract extension, but he noted at the time that it was, “nothing too extravagant just yet.” Cherington has also said that Keller checks the boxes necessary to warrant an extension and that the team would love for Keller to be a Pirate for years to come.

“There may be opportunities for us to do that,” Williams said. “We will take advantage of them if there are. Those will be decisions that Bob, Ben and myself will sit around a table and decide when’s the right opportunity for those to be made.”

MLB Draft

On Monday, Henry Davis, the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, made his Major League debut. In roughly a month, Cherington and company will have an opportunity to add another 1:1 selection into the organization.

Could it be Dylan Crews? Paul Skenes? Wyatt Langford? Time will tell.

“I think we’re all excited knowing what that means to an organization, to be able to have two picks first overall within three years,” Williams said. “It’s pretty important to a small-market team like us. We’re excited that we get that opportunity, and we’re going to use that pick to the best of our ability to continue to bring that sustainable wave of top-caliber players that will allow us to be competing for championships.”

Williams added that it’s “way too early” to discuss Draft philosophy, but said that there will be “no restrictions on spending within those parameters” when it comes to the Pirates’ $16,185,700 in bonus pool money, the third-largest bonus pool ever.