Pirates Offseason 2032-33

As the Pirates are coming off a bittersweet season in which the Bucs made it to their first World Series since 1979 (A span of 53 years) but fell to the powerhouse LA Angels in 6 games, the Pirates are having an active offseason in hopes of winning that elusive ring in 2033. The Pirates have been more active in Free Agency and have made a big splash in the trade market to put the best possible team on the field. The Pirates front office has been happy about the growing fanfare in Pittsburgh for its baseball team and are hoping support will continue to grow and turn The Steel City into a full fledged baseball city. In this article we will look at the additions and subtractions that have taken place this offseason.

Acquired thru Trades:
P Dave Gillard- Acquired from Cincinnati along with cash considerations for pitching prospect Jose Alires. Gillard was added to the team to assist Pittsburgh's bullpen after Rich Thompson is rumored to be close to signing with the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent. Gillard is coming off a solid season in Cincinnati and relies upon his excellent "stuff" and hopefully his skills will translate to a very good career in Pittsburgh.

3B Geoff Johnson- Acquired from Boston for first baseman Charlie Sanger to compete to replace 3B Aaron Wittmann who departed for Kansas City. Geoff Johnson was drafted as a 1st rounder two seasons ago and the Pirates are banking on him fulfilling his 1st round potential. Expect Johnson to compete with FA acquisition Josh McAllister for the starting job at 3rd. Sanger's departure opens the door for Rob Kirouac to start full time in AAA next season. 

SP Dushawn Davis-  This was the big trade for the Pirates this offseason in which the Pirates acquire a highly touted young starting pitcher from Cleveland for Mario Aquino, Arturo Campomanes and 2B Dave Aubrey. The 26 year old lefty is highly regarded among MLB scouts but has been in the majors from 20 years old and hasn't shown a ton of promise in the majors. He has a career 5 ERA for Cleveland and hopefully a change of scenery will bring out the best in him. Aquino has been hot and cold as a major leaguer and projects as a 3rd SP; Campomanes shows good upside as a 21 year old starter or reliever and should definitely find a place on a major league staff. Second baseman Dave Aubrey, who was acquired midseason from Milwaukee, will be packing his bags again and headed to Cleveland. 

Acquired thru Free Agency: 
3B Josh McAllister- Josh will be competing with Geoff Johnson for the starting position at third this spring training after the departure of Aaron Wittman. McAllister is a sensational fielder with decent power and a decent eye for the strike zone. 

1B Luis Veles- Veles had 25 homers for Tampa last season but has serious struggles with contact, drawing walks, and swings and misses. The 27 year old will be competing for a spot as a role player in Pittsburgh and has solid versatility as he plays 1B, 3B, and in the OF. 

SS Ed Chapman- The speedster SS formally with Milwaukee and Houston will be competing for a position as a role player for the Pirates next year. He has a fairly average glove with outstanding speed and decent contact. He should make a very good pinch runner if he earns a spot on the Pittsburgh bench. 

SS Shuja Nakamura- The former 4th round selection of the Pirates returns to the team with an opportunity to earn a spot as a role player for the team. He has had stops in Toronto, Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles. He still a very rangey shortstop with average contact and a solid eye. 

RF Jeff Albin- The long time New York Met has joined the Pirates as a 4th outfielder with good contact and a great eye. He is capable of starting in a bind for the Pirates and should provide good depth that they didnt have in the OF last year. 

RF Yukihira Gato- Gato signed a 2 year deal for 14 million dollars with the Pirates this offseason and becoming the first big FA investment from the Pirates in recent memory. Gato presumably will be replacing Bill Doucet on the team and will be competing for time along with Pete Brinkley and Mike Nicks.

SP Vicente Lingrell- Vicente had a surprising lack of interest of interest in free agency and eventually settled for a 2 year deal with the Pirates. The lefty had spent his entire career with Cincinnati and will likely will be competing for a spot in the bullpen for the Pirates. 

Departures:
C Ricardo Soto- The All-star catcher from last season is rumored to be close to a 2 year deal with the New York Mets. Soto had a breakthrough season last year with the Buccos after finalizing his divorce in what was obviously a dysfunctional relationship.

3B Aaron Wittmann- The powerful and swift fielding fan favorite in Pittsburgh is packing his bags for Kansas City. The negotiations reportedly broke down between the Pirates and Wittmann's agent and couldnt come to what they felt was a fair contract. Wittmann has aged gracefully to this point and the Pirates wish him the best of luck in the future. 

3B Blake McGilvernock-  Blake is reportedly close to signing with the Diamondbacks after spending his entire major league career with Pittsburgh. Blake became a fan favorite for his gritty play for the Pirates.

OF Bill Doucet- The reliable switch hitter hit a major roadblock with the Pirates during the negotiations as the two sides were significantly apart on the value. Doucet appears to be getting his wish of being paid through free agency as he reportedly has significant offers on the table from Minnesota, Detroit and Philadelphia. The Pirates training staff insisted that the front office let him walk because they felt he had been skating on thin ice with his injury history.

2B Leon Hussey- The longtime backup infielder for the Pirates is headed to the World Series champs, the LA Angels. Leon had been a mainstay on the Bucco bench since 2024 and will be onto a new journey with the team that beat Pittsburgh in the postseason. 

CL Rich Thompson- The Pirates all time leader in saves with 304 saves is rumored to be close to signing a contract with the rival Brewers. Thompson struggled to open last season but closed the season very strong and the Pirates fans surely will miss him in the pen.