All-Star First Baseman Emerges for Pirates
Looking ahead to the upcoming MLB offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to be a very interesting team to keep an eye on.
Not normally known for being big spenders, could the Pirates consider altering their strategy?
Pittsburgh is desperately searching to get back into contention in the National League. In order to accomplish that goal, they will need to get aggressive in the offseason.
With that in mind, there is an intriguing first base option that could be emerging for the Pirates.
According to a report from Katie Woo of The Athletic, the NL Central division rival St. Louis Cardinals are not going to bring back former All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
"The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to part ways with seven-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt at the end of the season, multiple league sources tell The Athletic."
If Pittsburgh wants to bring in a cheaper option with high upside, pursuing Goldschmidt could make a lot of sense.
During the 2024 MLB season, Goldschmidt put together solid numbers heading into the season finale today, but not star caliber production. He ended up hitting 22 home runs to go along with 64 RBI, while batting .245/.301/.412.
At 37 years old, Goldschmidt's career is starting to wind down. He still has another year or two of good baseball left in him. Should the price tag be right, the Pirates should strongly consider this option.
Pittsburgh simply needs to bring in more offensive firepower. If they can add more offense, they could have a chance to compete next season. Goldschmidt would be worth taking a flier on.
No one should expect the veteran first baseman to get back to being a superstar. However, he can still be a solid bat that makes the lineup better as a whole.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Pirates end up doing this offseason. Goldschmidt would make a lot of sense as a free agency target.
