New era in the Steel City: 3 Pittsburgh Pirates free agents who won't be back in 2025 and why

The Pittsburgh Pirates were gifted the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft where they selected right-handed pitcher Paul Skenes. Skenes quickly became one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball, just a year into his career.

The addition of Skenes has kicked the Pirates rebuild into turbo speed compared to where they were at. With such a dominant ace on their staff for the next half-decade or so, the team will need to quickly put itself together so they can maximize their wins while Skenes is in the Steel City.

They have the opportunity to make great strides towards winning in the future by making important decisions this offseason. These decisions are headlined by the free agents they bring in but also letting go of these three upcoming free agents.

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3. C Yasmani Grandal

The Pirates will be tasked with finding some catching depth next season. Their duo of Yasmani Grandal and Joey Bart from 2024 was a solid duo, but with Bart being the better of the two and Endy Rodriguez eyeing a return to the team, Grandal is likely on the chopping block. And that shouldn't really bother any Pirates fans.

While Grandal has had his moments, there's just not much that he provides for the team. Grandal is one of the slowest runners in the game, routinely getting thrown out on players that almost any other player would reach on.

Grandal is also one of the worst throwing catchers that the game has to offer. While many argue that stolen bases are more on the pitcher than the catcher, having a catcher with as bad of an arm and as slow of a pop time as Grandal doesn't help the cause whatsoever. With him being in his mid-30s, this won't be fixed anytime in the near future.

The 35-year-old slashed .228/.304/.400 in 72 games this season. He will be 36 next year and on the decline. The Pirates should be perfectly fine with Rodriguez and Bart as their catchers going forward because bringing back the veteran Grandal just doesn't make much sense at all.

2. LHP Marco Gonzales

The number two spot on this list is about as surefire of a prediction as there is. There's almost no chance that Marco Gonzales will be back with the Pirates in 2025.

Gonzales made seven starts for the Pirates this season, posting a 4.54 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in that time. He then suffered an arm injury before having season-ending flexor tendon surgery.

Pittsburgh also has some top prospects in the minor leagues that could come up and make an impact next season. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Jared Jones and Bailey Falter are locks to remain in the starting rotation. Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Thomas Harrington have all earned their shot in the big leagues with their performances in the minors. Players like this are already waiting to step in for Gonzales.

Gonzales didn't have a great year and he had season-ending surgery. Now, with him having a team option worth $15 million, there is absolutely zero chance that the Pirates accept his option and bring him back.

Baseball is a business and it would make no sense at all for the Pirates to take him back in 2025. They will decline his option, and Gonzales will hit the open market this Winter.

1. LHP Aroldis Chapman

When the Pirates announced that they had signed flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to the team, many were left scratching their heads as to why the Pirates were willing to pay eight figures to a relief pitcher who wasn't their closer.

A few months later, everybody is still left scratching their heads at this decision.

Chapman posted a 3.79 ERA in his age-36 season, which is much better than many would have expected. He was throwing harder than anybody expected him to, but he's just not the pitcher that he once was. His best days are behind him and nobody should be paying Chapman upwards of $10 million for a year of relief pitching.

With the Pirates now set to push for a postseason berth, they can't spend so much of their payroll on a relief pitcher with a 0.4 WAR. Pittsburgh needs to bring in hitters and fill out their starting rotation with budget players.

Again, Chapman wasn't bad in 2024. He just wasn't worth the investment. As he enters free agency this offseason, it's almost a certainty that he finds a new home in the offseason and the Pirates should be perfectly fine with that.