4 players Bob Nutting can afford who can land the Pirates back in the postseason

The Pittsburgh Pirates were continually in the hunt for a postseason spot in each of the last two seasons. However, both times, they came up short by wide margins. The Bucs have not played a postseason game since 2015 and have not advanced past a Wild Card round (or game) since 2013.

But with their budding core of Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, Paul Skenes, and Jared Jones, the Pirates have a fighting chance. That isn’t to say they’re ready to go out and win. Every great player needs a supporting cast and the Pirates are short in every department.

Unfortunately, the Pirates are strangers to making a big splash. The flashiest move they’ve made recently was trading for Bryan De La Cruz. Owner Bob Nutting has held the purse strings rather tight. In 2024, the Bucs spent the second-lowest amount in salary of all 30 teams shelling out $85,400,989.

So perhaps we won’t see Juan Soto sending balls into the Allegheny. But that doesn’t mean the Pirates won’t see another postseason for a long time. Baseball can be a game of inches. One small improvement might not mean much, but several small improvements can be the difference between finishing 10 games back in the Wild Card and plowing through the postseason.

However, if they are going to compete soon, upper management will need to act fast. Here are a few lower-budget but still quality names they can plunder.

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4. Tyler O’Neill

Tyler O’Neill is a rather underrated outfielder on the free agent market this offseason. With his seismic power potential, most teams should be eagerly bidding on him. However, his record with injury and whiffs have made them skittish. Starting with the injuries, O’Neill has been injured every year since coming up in 2018. As a result, he has often missed significant time and struggled to hit. To date, O’Neill has never seen 500 at-bats in a single season. But while he has never played a full season, he has shown he can be a potent slugger in the brief stints when he’s not battling injuries.

In 2024, O’Neill hit 31 home runs and slashed .241/.336/.511/.847. The 31 are impressive for 411 at-bats, but this slugging showcase came with a staggering 159 strikeouts. Compare that to only 99 hits. The bulk of this underwhelming batting average stems from his struggle against righties. Right-handers kept him to a .209 average this past season.

In 2021, we got a glimpse of O’Neill at his best. O’Neill slashed .286/.352/.560/.912 and crushed 34 long-balls, posting career highs in those stats among others. That year, he was 8th in the NL MVP race and won his second Gold Glove.

It is those numbers any team that pursues him will be looking to recover. O’Neill represents a high-risk high-reward opportunity. Since he is a high risk, his market price will be low giving teams a shot to sign a slugger on a budget. If the Pirates were to sign him, he could easily provide protection behind Reynolds.

3. Ryan Mountcastle

Before the trade deadline, the Orioles began advertising Ryan Mountcastle as a trade chip. That offer likely still stands. Since emerging in 2020, Mountcastle has proven to be a solid bat. This past season, Mountcastle missed a month with a sprained wrist. He finished the year with a slash line of .271/.308/.425/.733 and 13 home runs. With his glove, Mountcastle was one of the top defenders at first base.

Mountcastle’s .271 average might not look like much, but a repeat performance would do much to improve the Bucs. As a team, the Pirates came 23rd in the MLB in batting average with a cumulative .234, lower than the MLB mean batting average of .243. But it gets better. Mountcastle’s power potential was something we didn’t see much of in 2024.

In 2021, it was a different story. Mountcastle tallied a career-high 33 home runs indicating that he can hit for power. Making his power more of a factor would be the fact that Camden Yards is not hitter-friendly while PNC Park is. Mountcastle hit numerous long doubles that would have been home runs in other ballparks. And despite missing a month, Mountcastle still totaled 30 doubles on the season. If he can replicate his 2021 numbers with the Pirates, they will be in good shape.

If traded for, Mountcastle would be replacing Rowdy Tellez, who was cut just short of earning a bonus. With the first base spot open, Mountcastle seems like a natural fit. He will be a free agent after 2026 and is estimated to make $6 million next season in arbitration 2.

2. Yandy Diaz

Like with every season, there is always an overlooked trade chip that has superstar potential. Yandy Diaz is one such overlooked trade chip. This past season, Diaz posted a slash line of .281/.341/.414/.755 with 14 home runs. Last season’s numbers would only indicate Diaz is a quality hitter, but not so much a superstar. However, it was as recent as 2023 when Diaz hit to the tune of a .330 average with 22 home runs. That year, Diaz won his only batting title and Silver Slugger.

Making his hitting talent even more enticing is his on-base prowess. Diaz recorded on-base percentages upwards of .400 three times in his eight-year career. He has also totaled over 30 doubles in each of the past three years. A high-ceiling high-floor type hitter like Diaz would fit seamlessly in front of Bryan Reynolds and would do much to stimulate run production.

At one point in time, Diaz was primarily a third baseman but has since transitioned to first. However, with the DH spot open, Diaz could easily fill that role for the Pirates. Should the Bucs decide to bring back Andrew McCutchen, with Diaz’s flexibility, they will have options.

Diaz will make $10 million next season and will be a free agent after 2026. His contract comes with a club option for that season. For anyone scouring the trade market for an inexpensive low-risk high-reward solution, Yandy Diaz is a no-brainer.

1. Sean Manaea

If the Pirates are going to succeed next season, they will need a solid middle-of-the-rotation arm behind Skenes and Jones. But with all the top arms out of their price range, who could they turn to? Right now, Sean Manaea seems to be a favorable bet.

In 2024, Manaea posted a career-best 3.47 ERA with 184 strikeouts through a career-high 181.2 innings. Prior to 2024, Manaea had posted numerous seasonal ERAs in the high 3.00s to high 4.00s. Why the big difference?

Inspired by Chris Sale, Manaea lowered his arm slot this past season and was met with great results. He also employed a revamped sinker, throwing it more times than any other pitch. Manaea offset the speed and break of his sinker with a sweeper, a new combo he used to devastating effect. His sinker, a pitch he seldom threw in the prior two years, was featured as one of the “nastiest pitches” by a pitcher in this free agent class by David Adler on MLB.com.

Going into his age-33 season without a reliable track record, Manaea likely won’t cost a fortune. While there is some inherent risk in signing a pitcher with only one recent year of quality results, Manaea’s promising potential could make his signing the steal of the offseason.