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By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
Notes and observations about Major League Baseball as its hot stove season reaches its midpoint:
n As former Pittsburgh Pirates President Frank Coonelly commented during an offseason visit to Altoona's UVA Club with members of the team to greet local fans many years ago, a lot of the most talked-about prospective trades and transactions never come to pass, and those that aren't mentioned much beforehand are often the ones that actually happen.
The Pirates haven't been extremely busy with transactions to this point in the offseason, and some of the most prominent players whose names had been thought of possibilities for acquisition by the Bucs have gone elsewhere.
Christian Walker's name was bandied about as being a good fit for the Pirates' previous first base void, but the former Arizona Diamondbacks' slugger has signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Houston Astros.
Veteran and future Hall-of Famer Paul Goldschmidt and the St. Louis Cardinals were expected to part ways this offseason, and that has happened. Goldy was another player who was considered a great fit for the Pirates' first base job, but he signed a one-year contract with the New York Yankees, who also added outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger.
The Pirates instead opted to add first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who batted .265 in 97 games with 12 homers and 40 RBIs last season while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.
The verdict is still out on how productive that the left-handed batting Horwitz will be, and the Pirates may look to add another first baseman to platoon with Horwitz before the 2025 season starts in late March. A name that has been thrown around as a possibility is right-handed batting Spencer Torkelson, who was picked first overall in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers and is still with the Tigers.
The Tigers would be looking for a couple of the Pirates' top pitching prospects in return for Torkelson, who had an up-and-down 2024 season in which he batted only .219 with 10 home runs and 37 RBIs, after putting together a monster 2023 campaign in which he hit 31 homers and drove in 94 runs.
n A hot topic at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas in December was the reported availability of Pirates' starting pitchers Mitch Keller and Jared Jones, but the Bucs' trade of starting pitcher Luis Ortiz to Cleveland as part of the Horwitz deal has cooled off that speculation somewhat.
Keller signed a five-year, $77 million dollar deal with the Pirates last February -- the largest contract for a pitcher in franchise history -- that keeps him under control with the Bucs though the 2028 season. After making a bid for the second National League all-star selection of his career with an excellent first half last season, Keller slipped in the second half, winning just one of eight decisions and finishing the year with an 11-12 record.
While unloading Keller's contract for a needed bat or two to fortify their offense in 2025 might make some sense for the Pirates, dealing Jones along with Keller would be a death knell for a team whose strongest area, and best hopes for a berth in the postseason in 2025, is its starting pitching.
n The Pirates' trade for outfielder Bryan De La Cruz failed last year, and consequently, De La Cruz went non-tendered this offseason and the Bucs are in dire need of a corner outfielder with a decent bat. One name that has popped up this offseason is Alex Verdugo, who helped the New York Yankees reach the World Series last October, has since declared free agency, and is likely seeking a one-year contract for 2025. The veteran belted 13 homers and 28 doubles and carded a .356 slugging percentage with the Yankees last year, and also brings a solid glove to the table. Former Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler was a possible target on the Bucs' acquisition list this offseason, but has signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.
n The Bucs must address bullpen issues after losing veterans Aroldis Chapman, Ryan Borucki and Jalen Beeks to free agency earlier this offseason. All are left-handers, which presently leaves the Pirates painfully thin in regard to left-handed relief options. The fact that veteran right-handers Colin Holderman and closer David Bednar both had their share of struggles out of the pen last summer further clouds the Pirates' bullpen picture.
n The annual PiratesFest will be held on two days this month -- Saturday, Jan. 18 and Sunday, Jan. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days -- again at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Players, alumni, coaches, broadcasters and mascots will be on hand, and there will be free autograph sessions for kids ages 14 and under, as well as general autograph sessions for the public that will require a donation to Pirates Charities. Fans can also get insights about the 2025 season directly from the players during engaging question-and-answer sessions, and a wide variety of interactive games and activities suitable for fans of all ages will be offered. Exclusive Pirates merchandise and memorabilia will be available for sale. Admission is free to the public by reserving complimentary tickets on the pirates.com website under PiratesFest.
n The National League's Central Division appears wide open in 2025, with the St. Louis Cardinals in rebuilding mode, and the defending division champion Milwaukee Brewers losing heavy-hitting shortstop Willy Adames to the San Francisco Giants in free agency and trading lock-down closer Devin Williams to the Yankees. The Chicago Cubs have been the most active NL Central team this offseason, substantially fortifying their already strong batting lineup with the trade acquisition of outfielder Kyle Tucker, who hit 23 homers and batted .289 last season with the Houston Astros.
John Hartsock can be reached at jhartsock@altoonamirrror.com