2018 has to be seen as a successful season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Picked by many to finish last in the NL Central, they stayed competitive throughout the summer and have a winning record of 80-77. This season has been a far cry from the doom and gloom prognosticators who predicted a 100 loss season, or the fans who have boycotted PNC Park.
Low Expectations
When the Pirates traded ace pitcher Gerrit Cole and former MVP Andrew McCutchen in the off season fans basically lost their minds, paying no attention to the returns from the trades. Fans vowed to boycott PNC Park indefinitely, returning only watch McCutchen’s return to Pittsburgh in May as a member of the San Francisco Giants. Calls flooded into sports radio shows, lamenting the trades and accusing the Pirates front office of penny-pinching. Josh Harrison requested a trade which only inflamed the fans anti-front office sentiment. 100 loss predictions were thrown around.
A New Pirates Generation
What fans ignored was the return the Pirates got in these trades. For Cole, the Pirates acquired pitcher Joe Musgrove, third baseman Colin Moran, and minor league outfielder Jason Martin from the Houston Astros. For McCutchen, the Pirates acquired pitcher Kyle Crick and minor league outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Also using the money saved from the trades, the Pirates acquired 2017 All-Star outfielder Corey Dickerson from the Rays. These moves acquired players who could potentially be cornerstones for years to come. Colin Moran was the Pirates starting third baseman and hit .275 with 10 home runs in his first full major league season. Joe Musgrove had a very solid season, finishing with a 4.06 ERA and 1.2 WAR. Kyle Crick was a revelation in the bullpen, securing the seventh inning role to the tune of a 2.43 ERA and 1.4 WAR. Reynolds and Martin both had very solid campaigns in the minor leagues and Corey Dickerson outperformed McCutchen in 2018, hitting .298 with 13 home runs and 3.5 WAR, compared to McCutchen, who hit .254 and was worth 2.7 WAR. Despite the public-relations hit, the off season moves could not have worked out much better.
2018: The Bridge to Buctober
The Pirates’ new acquisitions played well, but it was the steps forward taken by returning players that has made the future look bright. In the rotation Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon have taken big leaps forward, finishing with 14 wins each 3.04 and 3.16 ERAs respectively. Williams was worth 3.7 WAR and Taillon was worth 4.2 WAR. The Pirates also made a splashy move at the trade deadline, acquiring two-time all star pitcher Chris Archer from the Rays. The bullpen was reminiscent of the “shark tank” bullpens of 2013-15 with Richard Rodriguez, Crick, and trade deadline acquisition Keone Kela setting up dominant closer Felipe Vazquez, who made the all-star team and recorded 36 saves. Behind the plate Francisco Cervelli and Elias Diaz were the most productive catching tandem in the league, combining for 21 home runs and 4.2 WAR. The Pirates outfield trio of Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco all had nice seasons, combining for the most extra base hits for a Pirates outfield since 2008. Middle infielders Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison turned in mediocre seasons, but second baseman Adam Frazier recovered from a slow start to establish himself as an everyday player in the big leagues, accumulating 2.6 WAR in only 310 at bats. Josh Bell had endured a disappointing sophomore season after a great rookie year in 2017, but he is a prime candidate for a bounce back season in 2019. Despite not so great expectations coming into the season the Pirates had a solid 2018 season. But why will 2019 be better?
2019: The Year It All comes Together
The one weak spot on the 2018 Pirates was the middle infield tandem of Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer who combined for only 0.3 WAR while being paid a combined $17 million. Mercer and Harrison will be free agents after the season and will most likely not be re-signed by the Pirates. This will allow Adam Frazier to play everyday at second base and allow 2015 first-round pick Kevin Newman to play shortstop. Maybe the biggest asset that the subtraction of Mercer and Harrison brings is money to spend. They were two of the highest paid Pirates in 2018 and getting their contracts off the books will give the Pirates money to spend on a very good free agent class. Oakland A’s infielder Jed Lowrie or Cleveland Indians third baseman Josh Donaldson could be targets that would improve the team. Even a reunion with Andrew McCutchen could be possible with Gregory Polanco out until June with an injury. The 2019 team could be a dangerous team with an outstanding pitching staff and solid offense that can be supplemented with free agent signings. The future is bright in Pittsburgh, with 2019 possibly being the year the Pirates return to the postseason.
Stats as of 9/27/18
Stats, salaries, standings, and free agent class from baseball-reference.com
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