Coming off their seventh straight losing season and tenth year in a row without a playoff berth, the Pittsburgh Pirates have considerable work to do this offseason if they want to be a contender next year.
The bulk of that work needs to be done on the lineup, which ranked last in MLB in runs this year. The pitching staff is already in good shape after ranking seventh in MLB in ERA, so not much needs to be done there beyond tweaks and depth signings.
In his column for The Athletic on Wednesday, former GM Jim Bowden identified the biggest offseason needs and goals for all 30 MLB teams this winter. For the Pirates, he wrote their biggest need is offense, specifically left-handed hitters to balance the lineup.
“Obviously, their focus this offseason is to add as much offense as possible through trades, free agency or promotions from their farm system,” Bowden writes. “In addition, they are prioritizing left-handed hitters over right-handed hitters to better balance the lineup.”
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While the potential debut of top prospect Konnor Griffin could help, Pittsburgh also needs to sign or trade for some impact bats this offseason to bolster its lineup. If the Pirates can get their talented pitching staff some run support, Bowden believes they could be a sneaky contender next year.
“If the Pirates have a strong offseason in terms of adding hitters, they could be surprise contenders next season, but they have a lot of work to do to get there,” Bowden adds.
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