After a tough season that noticed the Pirates flash indicators of life within the first half with a 48-48 document earlier than crashing to a 28-38 document after the All-Star break, Pittsburgh GM Ben Cherington mentioned a couple of of the membership’s key gamers as they workforce now seems to be forward towards the 2025 marketing campaign and the approaching offseason.
Chief amongst these was like NL Rookie of the Yr favourite Paul Skenes. For all the membership’s faults this yr, Skenes was the obvious vibrant spot as he was nothing in need of dominant virtually from the second he made his massive league debut again in Might. In 23 begins from then on, Skenes posted an eye-popping 1.96 ERA with a wonderful 2.45 FIP. With a 33.1% strikeout charge throughout his 133 innings of labor, Skenes was maybe probably the most dominant pitcher in all of MLB this yr. The one flaw in is in any other case dominant rookie marketing campaign was quantity, as Skenes threw simply 160 1/3 innings of labor in complete this yr between the main and minor leagues. That features eight begins the place Skenes did not move 80 pitches in his outing.
Luckily, that seeming unwillingness to have Skenes pitch deep into video games pale as his season continued, with the right-hander in the end throwing greater than 100 pitches in six of his 23 massive league outings. What’s extra, Cherington instructed reporters (together with Alex Stumpf of MLB.com) that the hard-throwing righty may discover himself unleashed fully subsequent yr. Cherington indicated that the Pirates don’t presently plan on “any type of exhausting limits” on Skenes’s innings or pitch counts headed into 2025, leaving the door open for Skenes to put up a good stronger season subsequent yr ought to he be capable to put up one thing near this season’s outcomes over a full slate of 30 begins. The righty figures to headline Pittsburgh’s rotation subsequent yr, adopted by Jared Jones and Mitch Keller. There’s some uncertainty behind the membership’s rotation behind these three, however Johan Oviedo, Luis L. Ortiz, and Bailey Falter may all be within the combine for begins as effectively.
Trying past the rotation, Cherington notably additionally provided a vote of confidence in longtime nearer David Bednar, who struggled badly all through the 2024 marketing campaign and was ultimately faraway from the nearer function in late August. Bednar’s outcomes improved over the month of September however his peripheral numbers remained shaky, as he posted a stable 3.38 ERA however walked (ten) extra batters than he struck out (9) throughout 10 2/3 innings of labor. That left Bednar with an general ERA of 5.77 on the yr, and whereas his 4.80 FIP provided some motive for optimism even that determine was nonetheless worse than common because it was held again by a ten.7% stroll charge.
Given Bednar’s brutal efficiency and a reasonably appreciable $6.6MM wage projection for subsequent season courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the membership discover transferring on from Bednar this winter. If that chance is on the desk, nonetheless, Cherington didn’t acknowledge it. Quite the opposite, Stumpf notes that Cherington instructed Bednar may even recapture the nearer’s function in time for 2025. Even despite Bednar’s poor efficiency, such an final result would hardly be a shock. In spite of everything, the membership has few confirmed relievers beneath workforce management apart from Colin Holderman and Bednar dominated to the tune of a 2.25 ERA with a 2.56 FIP over the 2021-23 seasons. If Bednar may even come near that type of manufacturing subsequent yr, he’d be effectively definitely worth the $6.6MM funding through arbitration.
Now turning to the positional facet, Cherington additionally offered a small replace (as relayed by Stumpf) on third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. A former top-of-the-line infield prospect who loved one thing of a breakout marketing campaign in 2023 the place he paired wonderful protection with a roughly league common at, Hayes appeared certain to hitch Skenes, Jones, and Oneil Cruz among the many membership’s core this season. As an alternative, accidents derailed Hayes’s yr fully. He was restricted to only 96 video games by a disc downside in his again that despatched him to the injured checklist twice this yr and left him taking part in by means of ache for almost all of the yr when he was on the sector. The damage marred marketing campaign led to disastrous outcomes, as Hayes hit simply .233/.283/.290 in 396 journeys to the plate alongside defensive numbers that have been a far cry from earlier seasons.
Tough as 2024 was for Hayes, nonetheless, Cherington expressed optimism concerning the infielder’s standing as he seemed forward to 2025. The GM acknowledged that there’s “all the time some stage of concern” concerning an injured participant till he’s as soon as once more on the sector, however added that he believes the membership is best knowledgeable about Hayes’s damage state of affairs and that the third baseman is “excited” to return to motion in 2025. When Hayes was unable to take the sector this yr, Jared Triolo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have been the membership’s major choices on the scorching nook this yr. Each gamers are in line to return to the membership subsequent yr and will proceed backing up the place within the occasion Hayes struggles to remain on the sector in 2025 as effectively.
