DALLAS -- The Pirates find themselves in a familiar spot to where they were a year ago: trying to improve a team that went 76-86 and get over the hump of the last stages of a rebuild and into the playoffs. There were plenty of reasons for optimism, excitement and frustration at different points throughout 2024, but as manager Derek Shelton discussed in an interview with MLB Network, the goals for this year are loftier.

"This is a division that we can win because our starting pitching is really good,” Shelton said. “We do need to add bats. ... But I feel really good about where we're at."

The Pirates did add a bat during the Winter Meetings in Dallas this week, making what could be their biggest trade in years. They also know there is work still to be done.

DEALS DONE

The Pirates made a splash on the trade market, dealing Luis Ortiz and pitching prospects Michael Kennedy and Josh Hartle for Guardians infielder Spencer Horwitz. Horwitz slashed .265/.357/.433 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs across 97 games for the Blue Jays last season and comes with six years of team control, a plus for a club that has been searching for a long-term answer at first base for years.

“We believe in the bat, we believe in the person,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “We believe he has a chance to be part of that solution. And, glad that we have a chance to have him for a while."

The Pirates are also in agreement for a Major League deal with reliever Elvis Alvarado, pending a physical. It’s a split contract for a hard-throwing converted outfielder who averages 98 mph on his fastball but has yet to crack the Majors.

BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS

1. Corner outfield
Cherington was clear Monday that the Pirates had spent a lot of their energy this winter towards improving the offense, specifically first base and corner outfield. Between the acquisition of Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds starting an offseason program to play first base, the former position is in pretty good standing now. Now they need to add an outfielder to join Reynolds and Oneil Cruz.

2. Leverage relievers
Shelton is bullish that David Bednar will bounce back from his disappointing 2024 campaign, but wouldn’t commit yet that he is the team’s 2025 closer. Regardless of his answer, there’s a need for at least one late-inning arm. The Pirates had interest in bringing back Aroldis Chapman before he signed with the Red Sox. They’ll have to pivot to find someone else to join Bednar and Colin Holderman to close out games.

3. Lefty relievers
There’s a need for more bullpen depth in general, but getting another lefty reliever is also imperative considering that Joey Wentz is the only one on the roster. Chapman was the Pirates’ only reliable lefty in their cavalcade of southpaws last season.

RULE 5 DRAFT

The Pirates entered the Rule 5 Draft with four open spots on the 40-man roster (it will be at 37 after Alvarado passes his physical and the deal becomes finalized), but passed in the Major League portion.

In the Minor League phase, the Pirates took five players: right-hander Franck De La Rosa, catcher Aaron McKeithan, lefties Randy Labaut and Steve Hajjar and outfielder Joel Mendez. They also lost three players in the Minor League portion -- right-hander Darvin Garcia, catcher Dylan Shockley and infielder Isaias Dipre.

GM’S BOTTOM LINE

The Pirates came into the offseason knowing they had a surplus of starting pitchers and a need for bats. In theory, something like the Horwitz trade has made sense for a while, trading from a strength for a need.

They still have starting pitching depth, but time will tell if they’ll deal another starter.

“At some point you’ve got to be careful,” Cherington said. “We want to maintain that as a strength and you go too far, you start to dig into it too much and all the sudden, you can get yourself in trouble. So, we'll need to be thoughtful and careful about it. Still feel like that's an area of strength and depth. We'll just have to see what comes.

“We're still interested in adding to the team. We think there'll be a lot of opportunities to do that. We don't feel like we're in a rush to do that. We'll stay after it and we got a couple more months to work on it."