After a tough season that noticed the Pirates flash indicators of life within the first half with a 48-48 report earlier than crashing to a 28-38 report after the All-Star break, Pittsburgh GM Ben Cherington mentioned a couple of of the membership’s key gamers as they group now seems to be forward towards the 2025 marketing campaign and the approaching offseason.
Chief amongst these was like NL Rookie of the 12 months favourite Paul Skenes. For the entire membership’s faults this 12 months, Skenes was the obvious vivid spot as he was nothing wanting 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 superb 2.45 FIP. With a 33.1% strikeout price throughout his 133 innings of labor, Skenes was maybe essentially the most dominant pitcher in all of MLB this 12 months. 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 whole this 12 months between the main and minor leagues. That features eight begins the place Skenes didn’t move 80 pitches in his outing.
Fortuitously, that seeming unwillingness to have Skenes pitch deep into video games light as his season continued, with the right-hander finally throwing greater than 100 pitches in six of his 23 massive league outings. What’s extra, Cherington advised reporters (together with Alex Stumpf of MLB.com) that the hard-throwing righty might discover himself unleashed fully subsequent 12 months. Cherington indicated that the Pirates don’t at the moment plan on “any type of laborious limits” on Skenes’s innings or pitch counts headed into 2025, leaving the door open for Skenes to submit an excellent stronger season subsequent 12 months ought to he be capable of submit one thing near this season’s outcomes over a full slate of 30 begins. The righty figures to headline Pittsburgh’s rotation subsequent 12 months, 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 might all be within the combine for begins as nicely.
Wanting 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 finally 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 strong 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 total ERA of 5.77 on the 12 months, and whereas his 4.80 FIP provided some purpose for optimism even that determine was nonetheless worse than common because it was held again by a ten.7% stroll price.
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 steered Bednar might even recapture the nearer’s function in time for 2025. Even despite Bednar’s poor efficiency, such an end result would hardly be a shock. In spite of everything, the membership has few confirmed relievers beneath group management moreover 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 12 months, he’d be nicely well worth the $6.6MM funding by way of arbitration.
Now turning to the positional facet, Cherington additionally supplied 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 a substitute, accidents derailed Hayes’s 12 months fully. He was restricted to simply 96 video games by a disc downside in his again that despatched him to the injured record twice this 12 months and left him taking part in via ache for almost all of the 12 months when he was on the sphere. The harm 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.
Troublesome as 2024 was for Hayes, nonetheless, Cherington expressed optimism concerning the infielder’s standing as he appeared 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 sphere, however added that he believes the membership is healthier knowledgeable about Hayes’s harm scenario and that the third baseman is “excited” to return to motion in 2025. When Hayes was unable to take the sphere this 12 months, Jared Triolo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have been the membership’s main choices on the sizzling nook this 12 months. Each gamers are in line to return to the membership subsequent 12 months and will proceed backing up the place within the occasion Hayes struggles to remain on the sphere in 2025 as nicely.
