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Darkstone42
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With the offseason underway, and a few changes already made, let's get a little discussion going.
I like Matt Hague as the hitting coach, his track record seems to be decent early in his coaching career, and I like what he's said and what his players have said so far.
Losing Ortiz hurts, but Horwitz is a cost-controlled option who can provide positive offensive value at one of two positions of need. Keeps their options open for the rest of free agency, depending on what's available and who they can manage to sign.
I'd like to see them get in on Christian Walker, though, with the Yankees interested, that would probably be a non-starter. Pity, he'd be a perfect fit, and allow Horwitz to provide a lot more value with his bat from 2B instead of 1B.
Likewise, signing Ha-Seong Kim would stabilize the defense by allowing IKF to play 2B, where he is much better. It wouldn't improve the offense much, but he's an average hitter, and whoever he replaces in the lineup probably isn't even that.
Anthony Santander might still be my #1 offseason target. Adding a proper power bat to the outfield should be a top priority, and he's the best on the market. But even as the best on the market, he shouldn't cost a truly premium contract. Signing all three is an impossibility, but it would make the Pirates an immediate playoff contender, even without other moves.
They'll also need to replace Chapman, but I'm not terribly sad to see him go. He was good last year, but he's aging, and relievers are already volatile as is. There are better option on the market, if they're willing to pay for them. They should also add another arm or two for the rotation, because right now they have to replace Ortiz for the rotation. Sasaki might be the best value option on the market, since so often posted players go for less than market rate, but I'm not sure they'll have a chance at him. Piveta might be a good option for the Bucs among the strong, but not top-tier pitchers out there.
I like Matt Hague as the hitting coach, his track record seems to be decent early in his coaching career, and I like what he's said and what his players have said so far.
Losing Ortiz hurts, but Horwitz is a cost-controlled option who can provide positive offensive value at one of two positions of need. Keeps their options open for the rest of free agency, depending on what's available and who they can manage to sign.
I'd like to see them get in on Christian Walker, though, with the Yankees interested, that would probably be a non-starter. Pity, he'd be a perfect fit, and allow Horwitz to provide a lot more value with his bat from 2B instead of 1B.
Likewise, signing Ha-Seong Kim would stabilize the defense by allowing IKF to play 2B, where he is much better. It wouldn't improve the offense much, but he's an average hitter, and whoever he replaces in the lineup probably isn't even that.
Anthony Santander might still be my #1 offseason target. Adding a proper power bat to the outfield should be a top priority, and he's the best on the market. But even as the best on the market, he shouldn't cost a truly premium contract. Signing all three is an impossibility, but it would make the Pirates an immediate playoff contender, even without other moves.
They'll also need to replace Chapman, but I'm not terribly sad to see him go. He was good last year, but he's aging, and relievers are already volatile as is. There are better option on the market, if they're willing to pay for them. They should also add another arm or two for the rotation, because right now they have to replace Ortiz for the rotation. Sasaki might be the best value option on the market, since so often posted players go for less than market rate, but I'm not sure they'll have a chance at him. Piveta might be a good option for the Bucs among the strong, but not top-tier pitchers out there.
