The Pittsburgh Pirates would have made the playoffs had their 82-80 file been within the AL West. Sadly, that isn’t the case. The NL Central one of many MLB’s hardest divisions. Don Kelly and Firm did what they may to stay related all year long, however completed a number of video games out of the Wild Card. Issues appear to be trending in the proper path; nonetheless, that doesn’t get the decision-makers off of the hook.
The Pittsburgh Submit-Gazette‘s Colin Beazley reported on Monday concerning the Pirates’ end-of-season report card. The beat author lined the staff, and it was clear the place Pittsburgh deserved an ‘F’ grade. General, the choice to signal Marcell Ozuna within the offseason actually damage the offense.
“Maybe it’s unsuitable to subject an F on a place based mostly upon a participant who was launched in August. Then once more, it’d be unsuitable to attempt to separate what gamers reminiscent of [Brandon] Lowe, [Bryan] Reynolds and [Ryan] O’Hearn did as designated hitters as a substitute of at their main positions,” Beazley wrote.
Pittsburgh signed Ozuna to provide the offense a dependable veteran presence. The objective was at all times for him to be the designated hitter. Sadly, it was a fairly horrible experiment.
Pirates Get Scolded For Ozuna’s Presence
The reporter continued to specific his displeasure concerning the determination. The numbers don’t lie, they usually weren’t fairly.
“The Pirates had higher manufacturing once they began rotating the DH spot between these three, [Oneil] Cruz and [Nick] Gonzales, however they received just about nothing from Ozuna whereas he was energetic,” Beazley famous. “In 70 video games, Ozuna batted .203 with eight homers, a .612 OPS and a 68 wRC+. He additionally struggled in opposition to lefties, a weak spot that his signing was meant to deal with.”
There was an added drawback that got here with Ozuna enjoying for the Pirates. It took away a roster spot for months from somebody who might assist extra than simply on the plate, per Beazley.
“Not solely did Ozuna not hit, however rostering him damage the Pirates protection, too. He was a mannequin veteran, however that wasn’t sufficient to make his signing worthwhile,” Beazley wrote.
It was initially seen as a good suggestion by the entrance workplace, however now the fact is that basic supervisor Ben Cherington made a mistake. Kelly did what he might to provide Ozuna alternatives; nonetheless, it was a failure throughout.
Pittsburgh Has Offensive Questions Shifting Ahead
Brandon Lowe was improbable for the Pirates throughout his first season with the group. He’s getting into free company, so he may be a one-and-done participant. The primary objective of the offseason must be to re-sign the second baseman.
This might go a great distance in proving to the fan base that possession desires to win. One other key piece will likely be bringing in additional dependable bats. The Ozuna mistake will go away a nasty style in a whole lot of mouths, so the Pirates have to redeem themselves in that space.
The Pirates must make some tough selections with the 2027 season in jeopardy. However a key half will likely be bringing in legit contributors who can stick round for your complete season.
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