SteemSports Presenter:
SteemSports Editor:
The Pirates tried to give it one last go with their regular cast of characters in 2017 and it simply didn’t come together, finishing a disappointing 75-87, good for fourth place in the National League Central, 17 games behind the division-winning Cubs.
Impact Additions:
Colin Moran, Corey Dickerson, Joe Musgrove, Michael Feliz
Key Departures:
Andrew McCutchen, Gerrit Cole, John Jaso, Daniel Hudson
Projected Lineup:
2B - Josh Harrison
LF - Corey Dickerson
CF - Starling Marte
1B - Josh Bell
RF - Gregory Polanco
C - Francisco Cervelli
3B - Colin Moran
SS - Jordy Mercer
Projected Rotation:
Jameson Taillon
Ivan Nova
Chad Kuhl
Joe Musgrove
Trevor Williams
Projected Closer:
Felipe Rivero
Michael Feliz / George Kontos
The Pirates had a pretty good run of success during the McCutchen/Cole era, snapping a 20-year playoff drought by snagging a wild card during the 2013 season where they eventually fell to the Cardinals in five games in a hard-fought series against the Cardinals in the NLDS. They then made the playoffs in each of the next two seasons, losing the wild card game each time.
The Pirates have plenty of intriguing young talent on offense, including Starling Marte, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco and Colin Moran. That’s a nice core that is worth building around. Picking up Corey Dickerson for peanuts early in spring training was a terrific move that added some much-needed thump to the Pirates’ lineup. The offense won’t wow you, but they should also have no problem competing.
The pitching side of the ledger is a different story. Jameson Taillon is an ace in the making, but he still only threw 133 ⅔ innings in 2017 and posted an ERA of 4.44 (xFIP of 3.89). Behind him, you have a solid veteran in Ivan Nova, the inconsistent Chad Kuhl and a complete wild card in Joe Musgrove who is transitioning to the rotation full-time after working in a swingman role for the Astros. The most important weapon that the Pirates have here is pitching coach Ray Searage who is among the best in the history of the game. He he done a tremendous job in his career getting the most out of his pitchers and helping them to reclaim their former glory.
Felipe Rivero may be one of the most underrated weapons in the game. He’s a force in the ninth inning for the Bucs and should finish the season as one of the top closers in all of baseball. George Kontos and Michael Feliz each have big arms, and give the Pirates a nice 1-2-3 punch in the late innings.
Fantasy Sleeper - Colin Moran - 3B
Colin Moran, 25, was the headliner in the return package that the Pirates received from the Astros in the Gerrit Cole trade this winter. Rather than being blocked at the big league level in Houston, he’ll immediately step in as the everyday third baseman for the Pirates and should find his name on the lineup card on a nightly basis. Moran hit an impressive .308/.373/.543 with 18 homers and 63 RBI in only 79 games at Triple-A Fresno in 2017. PNC Park in Pittsburgh isn’t really conducive to right-handed power, but Moran is still likely to swat 20+ homers this season as long as he stays healthy and is productive enough to remain in the lineup. He’s a complete zero in the speed department, but projects as a high-average hitter at the big league level. Ultimately, his fantasy value will depend on his counting stats, which will vary depending on where he hits in the lineup. If he works his way into the fourth of fifth spot, he’ll make for a tremendous bargain at his current ADP which sits at 408, making him an afterthought in many leagues.
Fantasy Bust - Jameson Taillon - SP
I like Jameson Taillon as much as the next guy, and he’s certainly someone that is worth rooting for after his return from cancer last season. I believe that the 26-year-old right-hander is going to have a very long and successful major league career and that he will take a meaningful step forward in 2017. Given his injury history, and the fact that he logged just 133 ⅔ innings in 2017, I don’t expect him to go much higher than 180 frames in 2018. He’s currently being drafted just inside the top 50 starting pitchers, making him a fringe SP3/SP4 in 15-team leagues. That’s probably a fair price, I’m just naturally risk-averse and prefer a couple of the other options in his price range. What he does have going for him is that the BABIP against him was a .352 in 2017, the second highest among all qualified starting pitchers. That number should come down in 2018, which will bring his ERA down with it.
Team Projection
While I don’t expect the Pirates to compete for a playoff spot in 2018, I think that starting the rebuild and selling off McCutchen and Cole was the right move for the franchise. I anticipate that they will be sellers at the trade deadline, moving any veteran pieces (Josh Harrison, Ivan Nova) that they can for additional prospects. They’ll be a fun team to watch, just don’t expect them to be playing meaningful games in October.
