Building a Super Team

Let's look at some of the Pirates draft picks that failed to sign or players that the Pirates did sign, but would not be free agents until after this year is up.

The Pirates had used the draft and international signings as a strong basis for their "successful" years of 2013-2015 when they had collectively the 2nd best record in Baseball during that 3 year stretch.  Unfortunately the Cardinals, a division rival, had the best record.

With the recent trade of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers, this got me thinking of the Pirates failures to build a competitive team year in and out.  They have missed out on signing elite talent through the draft as you'll see in this post and have traded a lot of their talent away for no impact.

SP Walker Buehler

2012 14th round selection (failed to sign)

SP Tyler Glasnow

2011 5th round selection, traded to Rays in Chris Archer 2018 trade

SP Jameson Taillon

2010 1st round selection

1B Josh Bell

2011 2nd round selection, traded to Nationals for 2021 season

2B Adam Frazier

2013 6th round selection, traded to Padres midseason 2021

SS/Util Trea Turner

2011 20th round selection (failed to sign)

3B Ke'Bryan Hayes

2015 compensation 2nd round selection

OF Austin Meadows

2013 1st Round, traded to Rays in Chris Archer trade

OF Starling Marte

Signed 8 year extension for $53M (2014-2021)

OF Bryan Reynolds

Acquired in the 2018 Andrew McCutchen trade prior to Andrew reaching free agency

C Jacob Stallings

2012 7th round selection

On the farm

SP Nick Lodolo (Reds Top Prospect)

2016 1st round compensation pick (41st overall) failed to sign

SP Shane Baz (Rays #3 prospect)

2017 1st round selection, traded to Rays in Chris Archer trade

SP Gunnar Hoguland (Blue Jays 1st Round selection in 2021 draft)

2018 1st round compensation, failed to sign

2B Nick Gonzalez (Pirates top prospect)

2020 1st Round selection

If that doesn't depress the casual Pirtes fan, I don't know what does.  It is easy to go and look at things in hindsight and to try to win every trade and sign elite talent through the draft and extend players at the right times in their careers, but Neal Huntington, the former GM of this team gutted the farm system for Chris Archer at a time when the team had no chance of making a deep playoff run.  Furthermore, they had a chance to acquire Gavin Lux or Will Smith at the 2019 trade deadline for elite relief pitcher Felipe Vazquez, who is now likely to be spending life in prison. 

Had the Pirates signed Walker Buehler and Trea Turner that would have bolstered the team with 8.5 Wins Above Replacement.  

The Pirates traded Adam Frazier, Austin Meadows, Starling Marte, Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell, and Jameson Taillon prior to them reaching free agency.  Those players equate for another 12 Wins Above Replacement.

Imagine adding 20 Wins to a team?

That would put them in the playoff picture for the division or one of the two wild cards.  Had they sign either of their 1st Round compensation picks in Gunnar Hoguland or Nick Lodolo OR not traded Shane Baz as part of the Chris Archer trade, the Pirates would have a farm system loaded with top prospects that many teams covet and they could trade for a game changing pitcher like Max Scherzer.

The Pirates front office seems to be on track with righting the ship (no pun intended) by recognizing their inability to compete for the next few years and that is why they have unloaded pending free agents and stockpiled prospects.

The next 2 years may be rough, but Pirates fans will be seeing the team return to the postseason in 2023. That's my prediction.