For two decades, losing was synonymous with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Those comparisons were finally laid to rest in 2013, as the organization began a stretch of three straight winning campaigns, which has coincided with three consecutive playoff appearances.
Now, the next issue they must figure out how to conquer is winning one more game. Yes, they won 98 of them in 2015, but we’re talking specifically about the NL Wild Card game.
After Pittsburgh beat the Cincinnati Reds behind the strength of Francisco Liriano in this contest back in 2013, they’ve been met with disappointment over the last two seasons. In 2014, they ran into Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants, getting shut out 8-0. Then, it was eventual NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs, who beat them 4-0 at PNC Park.
The loss last October especially had to sting – a year after getting shut out at home, the last thing this squad envisioned was more of the same the following year. It undoubtedly left a sour taste for an organization that boasted the second-best record in baseball and notched their most wins since 1991.
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On the whole, it was an incredibly successful season, but the unfortunate end is likely what most people are focusing on. Turning to 2016 and beyond, there’s only so much time left before they’ll be faced with trying to win a championship without a core that includes Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. Can they get it done?
Heck, they’ve already gotten rid of two core pieces this past winter by non-tendering Pedro Alvarez and trading Neil Walker to the New York Mets in exchange for Jonathon Niese.
As mentioned a couple weeks ago, Pittsburgh’s outfield is one of the MLB’s best with McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco patrolling the grass. However, it’s their infield that raises some questions. Josh Harrison is shifting from third to second, John Jaso has never played first base in the pros (OK I lied, he’s played five innings there) and Jung Ho Kang will likely start the season on the disabled list.
That’s why the Pirates jumping at a perceived opportunity to sign free agent infielder David Freese to a one-year, $3 million deal is a huge win. It truly gives them the shot in the arm they need ahead of Opening Day.
Sure, he’s not the same player that posted a career-high .839 OPS in 2012, but his 2015 season with the Los Angeles Angels was his best since then. The third baseman posted a .257/.323/.420 line with 14 homers, 56 RBI, 110 wRC+ and a 2.2 fWAR. He’s not going to be an All-Star, but Pittsburgh knows what they’re getting in Freese, and that’s exactly what they were looking for with regard to infield help.
Plus, the desire for him to play there was evident, citing the atmosphere around the organization as something he wanted to be a part of. That’s not something we would’ve heard five or 10 years ago, now is it?
With Kang’s return (along with immediate production) up in the air, Freese provides the coaching staff with legitimate depth at an important position, and the ability to move around the infield. If Kang returns and produces like he did in last year’s second half, Pittsburgh’s newest acquisition can shift across the diamond to platoon with Jaso instead of Mike Morse.
Putting two players at a position with limited experience like first base is risky from a defensive standpoint, but honestly, can it get much worse than Alvarez (-13.8 UZR in ’15)? Probably not.
Either way, this move made a lot of sense for Pittsburgh given the infield’s current uncertainties. Add in the fact that he came at a bargain and it’s a steal. Despite the production and roster stability he provides, his real value will come in the clubhouse.
When looking at the Pirates’ main NL Central competition, two teams in particular have a lot of players with significant postseason experience on their respective rosters.
The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t make many major acquisitions this winter outside of Mike Leake, but they’ve been to October five years in a row, so there’s plenty of experience there (especially with Adam Wainwright, Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina still around). In Chicago, the Cubs are very young, but are fresh off a trip to the NLCS. They also bolstered an already great roster with Ben Zobrist and John Lackey – two recent World Series winners.
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When looking at Pittsburgh’s roster, it’d definitely help to bring in a veteran player who has:
- Not been a part of the last two heartbreaking October losses.
- Found previous success in the postseason.
This roster has postseason experience, but acquiring a player that’s performed at an elite level with his back against the wall is an opportunity any team should take. Pittsburgh could use a Sherpa to guide them to the top of the mountain.
Given his heroics in the 2011 World Series with the Cardinals, Freese checks both those boxes. Plus, being developed in St. Louis’ system means he’ll bring that “perform no matter what” kind of attitude, which will also help.
Not because the Pirates don’t have that killer instinct, though.
As we saw throughout the winter, the Cardinals and Cubs have the ability to spend much more than them. When it comes to acquiring top talent outside the organization, they’re already at a disadvantage, but it’s not something they should focus on because it’s out of their control.
What can they control? Well, for one, they can win the games they’re supposed to win, something they struggled with last year. Their division will be competitive, but it’s also top-heavy with two rebuilding teams in the Milwaukee Brewers and Reds occupying spots.
As Jesse Yomtov of USA Today noted last fall, Pittsburgh ended up in the Wild-Card play-in game for the third year in a row because they couldn’t take care of business in their own division. They went a collective 34-42 and posted a losing record against everyone – even the Brewers and Reds. Suddenly, finishing a couple games behind the Cardinals and missing out on going straight to the NLDS stings more.
Obviously, hindsight is 20-20, but it’s a good lesson. Has it been a huge bummer to go one-and-done twice in a row? Of course, but the only way to erase that pain is to focus on what they can control. With how competitive the division will be, getting off to a slow start must be avoided at all costs. Adding Freese makes their chances of success that much stronger, along with helping the rest of the roster look ahead instead of thinking about last year’s shortcomings.
The pieces were already in place to make another October run, but that doesn’t mean there still weren’t opportunities to get better. The front office deserves a lot of credit for seeing a potential roster weakness and keeping an open mind so close to Opening Day. There’s a good chance they’ll all reap the benefits of it.
As painful as the last couple years have been for the Pirates, getting over a playoff hump is at least much more fun to think about instead of trying to avoid another losing season, isn’t it?
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter so we can celebrate the return of baseball together: @mmusico8.
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