This story was excerpted from the Pirates Beat publication written by Jake Crouse. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
I hope everybody had an ideal vacation season and nobody obtained a lump of coal of their stocking. Should you did, I counsel taking it out into the yard and smashing it with a baseball bat. I’ll or is probably not talking from expertise.
The brand new yr is now on the doorstep, and the Pirates’ plans for it have turn into a bit of clearer in 2023’s last month. They’ve made numerous free-agent signings and trades to bolster their starting-pitching and position-player depth. They re-signed Andrew McCutchen, their face of the franchise. They’re even including a new assistant GM in Sarah Gelles, who has a robust background in analytics and who will assist the group within the brief and long run.
However there are nonetheless loads of issues to be inquisitive about, particularly in the case of how common supervisor Ben Cherington will stability these participant additions with alternatives for high prospects — and there are a number of very notable ones that might attain MLB subsequent season.
So within the spirit of the brand new yr, let’s sit up for 2024.
Greatest query to reply earlier than Spring TrainingHow does the beginning rotation line up? Even with the items falling into place after the commerce for Marco Gonzales and the reported settlement reached with Martín Pérez, which has not been confirmed by the membership, there are nonetheless two rotation spots up for grabs outdoors of Mitch Keller. When requested final week about which areas he nonetheless sees needing potential additions, Cherington’s first response was the rotation. However may younger inner choices like Quinn Priester or Jared Jones make their case in Spring Coaching?
One participant poised to have a breakout seasonOneil Cruz. Given the already excessive reward he’s garnered, it’s arduous to consider that Cruz has but to succeed in 100 video games in MLB. A fractured tibia in April final season ended his yr in heartbreaking style. He’s at a profession .751 OPS thus far, and anybody who has seen his uncooked instruments is aware of he’s able to greater than that.
“I’m going to set my bar excessive from final yr and do issues I can’t even think about proper now,” Cruz stated in September. “I’m going to be in a great place mentally and bodily, and it’s going to be a particular yr.”
Prospect to observe in 2024Paul Skenes. Right here’s how excessive the extent of perception is that Skenes, the No. 1 total decide within the 2023 Draft, will attain MLB subsequent season: He was named a 2024 All-MLB Crew sleeper decide by MLB.com even if he has pitched solely 2 2/3 innings at Double-A. There aren’t any ensures that he’ll attain MLB subsequent season, however he’s been referred to as the perfect faculty pitching prospect since Stephen Strasburg, who was drafted No. 1 in 2009, then debuted in ‘10 for the Nationals.
One prediction for the brand new yearKe’Bryan Hayes will win his first Platinum Glove. Fernando Tatis Jr. gained it this previous yr within the NL in his first season as a full-time outfielder, and a part of his success was as a result of runners stored testing his arm. Skilled baseball gamers will alter to that and study to not get grasping attempting to take an additional base, however there’s no adjustment to be made in opposition to Hayes’ protection. You possibly can’t simply not run to first base. He’s going to proceed making these unbelievable performs — and proceed making them look ridiculously straightforward.
