Pirates 2024-25 offseason questions

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

After failing to improve on their 76-86 record from 2023, the Pirates will enter a pivotal offseason with plenty of questions. Here are five of the most burning ones as they begin to look towards ’25.

1. Who will be their hitting and bullpen coaches?

Let’s start with a couple of changes we know will need to be made. The Pirates are moving on from hitting coach Andy Haines and bullpen coach Justin Meccage after the hitters and relievers generally underproduced in 2024, finishing 27th in the Majors in team OPS (.672) and reliever ERA (4.49).

There are many talented pitching coaches through the Pirates’ system — like Cibney Bello and Drew Benes with Triple-A Indianapolis, for example — if they opt for some familiarity as they graduate more young pitchers to the Majors. Pittsburgh is probably best off with an external hire for hitting coach, and the club will have to find someone who can help maximize their young hitters making the jump to the Majors.

2. How do you fix the bullpen?

General manager Ben Cherington said he believes David Bednar could be the Pirates’ closer next year. Bednar’s return to All-Star form would be better than any external move the Pirates could make to improve their bullpen, but how many eggs can they put in that basket? Can they part with Aroldis Chapman, who can close if necessary, with Bednar as a question mark?

There’s also a depth problem. Dennis Santana was a great midseason pickup, but the Pirates didn’t have much consistency from their other middle or leverage relievers like Colin Holderman, Carmen Mlodzinski and Kyle Nicolas. Dauri Moreta should be back from Tommy John surgery midseason, but Pittsburgh needs more pitchers it can turn to in leverage spots. The club also also needs a quality lefty specialist, a piece that was missing this past season.

The Pirates can make minor trades or a signing or two to improve the depth, but if they are looking for guys who can pitch the seventh and eighth, will they make another splash like they did with Chapman?

3. What do you do at first base?

The offense’s issues extend beyond first base, but it’s been an issue for several years now.

The Pirates have a couple of players on the 40-man roster who could play first base — namely Billy Cook, Jared Triolo, Connor Joe and Endy Rodríguez — but none scream “everyday option.” Cook’s outfield glovework was outstanding in his month in the Majors (six Defensive Runs Saved), so he’s probably suited better there. Joe struggled in the second half of the season, Triolo’s defensive versatility is a huge plus for him and Rodríguez is working to come back as a catcher.

Bryan Reynolds took infield drills with a first-base glove several times throughout September, and while Cherington said the team will be open-minded to potentially moving him to first, they haven’t had any formal discussions.

The free-agent market for first basemen is thin. If the Pirates want to add an impact player to this group, it might have to be via trade.

Joey Bart was a pleasant surprise, hitting 13 home runs with a .799 OPS in 80 games played. Does that make him the starting catcher next year? Rodríguez should be healthy, and it’s still too soon to close the book on Henry Davis.

This will probably be sorted out more over the course of Spring Training, but each of these players could theoretically move to another position too. Davis has some right-field experience, Rodríguez could move to first and it’s not unreasonable to assume Bart could move too, if necessary. Playing time could be sorted out later, but how much playing opportunity should the Pirates allocate to their catchers?

5. How aggressive will they be?

Time will tell here. Free agency hasn’t started and the trade market is virtually non-existent until November. But 2025 is going to be a pivotal season. Will the Pirates make a splash in the free-agent market or listen on trade offers for top prospects? They were willing to deal from their starting-pitching depth at the Trade Deadline to try to bolster their offensive options. Will they do that again, and if so, do they up the ante?

There are holes at first base, the bullpen and maybe shortstop or the outfield, depending how this offseason goes. The Pirates have internal options, but if they want to get better, it’s going to take adding players too.