Pittsburgh Pirates Face Free Agency Challenges

The Pittsburgh Pirates face a challenging offseason following a disappointing 76-86 record in 2024, marking yet another year of struggles for the team. Key players underperforming, such as Connor Joe and Nick Gonzales, are likely to be let go as the team seeks to improve its roster for the upcoming season. General manager Ben Cherington believes the Pirates are in a better place than when he took over in 2019, but acknowledges that significant improvements are still needed, particularly on offense, where the team has ranked poorly for several years. Despite being low on payroll, the franchise is expected to retain veteran Andrew McCutchen, who had a solid year, as they navigate free agency and consider retaining inconsistent players like Aroldis Chapman. The Pirates' path to improvement remains unclear given their historical reluctance to spend in free agency, leaving fans hopeful for impactful additions. Ultimately, the focus will be on enhancing their offense and maintaining a promising pitching staff led by rookies Paul Skenes and Jared Jones.