After a down season in 2016, the Pirates will face a number of challenges as they try to regroup.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Gregory Polanco, OF: $32MM through 2021 (plus 2022 and 2023 club options)
- Francisco Cervelli, C: $31MM through 2019
- Starling Marte, OF: $24.5MM through 2019 (plus 2020 and 2021 club options)
- Josh Harrison, 2B: $18.5MM through 2018 (plus 2019 and 2020 club options)
- Andrew McCutchen, CF: $15MM through 2017 (plus 2018 club option)
- David Freese, 1B/3B: $11MM through 2018 (plus 2019 club option)
- Antonio Bastardo, RP: $6.5MM through 2017 (partially paid by the Mets)
- Jung Ho Kang, 3B: $6MM through 2018 (plus 2019 club option)
- John Jaso, 1B: $4MM through 2017
- Chris Stewart, C: $1.65MM through 2017 (plus 2018 club option)
Arbitration Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections by MLB Trade Rumors)
- Tony Watson (5.101) — $5.9MM
- Juan Nicasio (5.084) — $4.6MM
- Jared Hughes (4.162) — $2.5MM
- Jordy Mercer (4.095) — $4MM
- Jeff Locke (4.020) — $4.2MM
- Drew Hutchison (3.165) — $2.2MM
- Wade LeBlanc (3.131) — $1.6MM
- Gerrit Cole (3.111) — $4.2MM
- Non-tender candidates: Locke, Hughes, LeBlanc
Free Agents
Before the season, Pirates GM Neal Huntington controversially described 2016 as a “bridge year,” which he later clarified meant the club was transitioning from a core of Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, A.J. Burnett, Pedro Alvarez and Russell Martin to one led by McCutchen, Starling Marte, Gerrit Cole, Mark Melancon and Gregory Polanco, as well as newcomers Jameson Taillon, Josh Bell and Tyler Glasnow. The Pirates stumbled across that bridge, winning just 78 games in 2016 after three straight playoff berths, and now they’re trying to figure out what’s on the other side.
Much went wrong for the Pirates in 2016, beginning with McCutchen’s abrupt, and huge, step backwards. Cole had arm trouble and wasn’t as effective as he’d been in 2015, and Melancon, who was about to become a free agent anyway, ended up traded to Washington for fellow reliever Felipe Rivero and a prospect.
Not much went right for other members of Huntington’s new core, either. Catcher Francisco Cervelli, whom the Pirates extended in July, struggled with a broken hand and only hit one home run all season (although he did have a .377 OBP). Second baseman Josh Harrison, who’d signed an extension in 2015, had an underwhelming year, batting .283/.311/.388, and he ended the season on the DL. And lefty Francisco Liriano, whom the Pirates had signed through 2017, struggled and then was shipped to Toronto in a baffling salary dump that also cost the Bucs two good prospects.