The Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy this offseason, acquiring several veteran hitters to join the team.
While the Pirates will look different on the field next season, there is still a need to bring on a few
more pieces to the puzzle. Bleacher Report writer Joel Reuter believes the Pirates need to add a shortstop between now and the start of Spring Training in a few weeks.
“With Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, Jhostynxon García and Jake Mangum brought aboard, the Pirates have made a legitimate effort to upgrade their offense in support of a dynamic young pitching staff. However, the left side of their infield is still weak, with Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo the current projected starter. A trade for someone like CJ Abrams, Alec Bohm or Josh Jung would provide a nice boost, while Eugenio Suárez could also be a fit in free agency,” Reuter wrote.
The Pirates have been aggressive so far in the offseason. So what’s the point in stopping now? Making these moves are good ideas, but only if the team can figure out its problem in the infield. The team will likely rely on Gonzales as a young player that can grow, but the Pirates could try and bring in someone with a stronger track record.
Gonzales was a top prospect for the Pirates that has batted .257 over his first three years in the big leagues, but there is reason to believe the team can do and get better on the open market.
