Three moves the Pirates must make before Spring Training
Sure, you could come up with more than three reasons.
Pitchers and catchers across MLB report for their designated camps in less than 30 days and the Pittsburgh Pirates still have plenty of work to get done.
When the offseason started, General Manager Ben Cherington indicated the team would be busy adding players and possibly even extending some of the team’s young stars. As we enter the middle of January, the Bucs have yet to take flight on their offseason “To-Do” list.
As of Jan. 15, the Pirates added two players from free agency (LHP Martin Perez and 1B/DH Rowdy Tellez), re-signed OF/DH Andrew McCutchen and acquired LHP Marco Gonzales from the Atlanta Braves and OF Edward Olivares from the Kansas City Royals.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73056432/usa_today_22033877.0.jpg)
While it’s a decent start, the Pirates need to keep building over the next few weeks. Here are three things they MUST do before reporting to Bradenton in February:
Sign one NOTABLE starting pitcher
The Pirates’ starting rotation is starting to fill out following the additions of Gonzales and Perez, but they still need another quality arm to give them five solid options.
Reports say the Pirates are in strong pursuit of Cuban RHP Yariel Rodriguez, who could be anywhere from a 3-5 starter if signed, but terms or dollar amounts have yet to be revealed. They add the team made a lucrative offer to Japanese pitcher Shota Imanaga prior to his signing with the Chicago Cubs.
