Pirates adding raw tools to roster mix for 2026, Mitch Keller might not be only trade chip

Some random thoughts on a Saturday morning

Photo Credit: WTM

It appeared that we were set on heading into the Winter Meetings without the Pittsburgh Pirates having made a significant move to address their major league roster for the 2026 season.

Now, the Pirates have not only made one but also added another just for fun. After trading for Jhostynxon Garcia from the Boston Red Sox, they claimed Marco Luciano off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.

Ok, so these aren’t giant needle movers, at least initially, but it’s a positive step forward.

I talked about my thoughts on the trade to acquire ‘The Password’, and those thoughts still ring true - it was a good move for the Pirates.

The Pirates needed some thump in the lineup, and Garcia is going to give them that. He can also play a solid center field, adding a floor that some of the others on the 40-man roster don’t have.

They did the same with Luciano, who was once a shortstop but made the switch to the outfield and hit 23 home runs this past season in Triple-A. The raw power is there, even though it comes with swing-and-miss problems.

The Pacific Coast League can be quite the launching pad, so maybe some hesitation with the home run totals is justified, but he backs it up with some elite exit velocity numbers.

These are the type of waiver claims that the Pirates should be putting in: players with some actual upside or tools that could make them major league regulars.

No more picking up players that didn’t hit in the majors or the minors, and don’t really have a carrying tool.

Lucanio might not break camp with the team (and since he’s out of options, he’d have to be put on waivers), but if something clicks, even for just a bit, it’s a former top 100 prospect with double-plus raw power that plays a position of need.

Not sure there is any downside to either of these moves, unless this is all we are going to see…

Since Ben Cherington has taken over as the General Manager, no team has hit fewer home runs than the Pirates. They have 777 home runs since 2020, the next team - the Washington Nationals - has 54 more at 831.

They need a boost in that department if they are going to compete, and both Garcia and Luciano have the potential to help with that.

Emphasis on potential.

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That being said, these moves look even better - or worse - depending on what the Pirates do the rest of the offseason.

It doesn’t sound like this is going to be it, as they remain one of the teams the national media guys continue to hype as active spenders this offseason.

As Buster Olney put it on ESPN:

“We aren’t accustomed to seeing the Pirates, Marlins or A’s among the most aggressive teams, but they seem to be like college freshmen holding credit cards for the first time -- some agents think they’ll add something in the range of $25 million to $30 million in payroll, either in salaries acquired through trades or in free agency.”

If the Pirates swing a few more moves, which include some free agents, these moves look even better. They made that trade for Spencer Horwitz last offseason and then didn’t do much of anything until it came time to sign Tommy Pham.

Horwitz turned out to be one of the better hitters in the lineup, but that didn’t mean much without much help around him.

Adding some of these high upside guys is great, but it needs to come with more, so you aren’t banking only on that potential.

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There was a time when I would say that Mitch Keller was 100% a goner this offseason, and although it sounds like the Pirates are open to moving another arm, I’m not sure that’s the name they should be moving at this point.

Keller would be able to fetch a decent return, maybe not the one that a lot of fans would expect, but it’d be enough to get a notable upgrade in the lineup.

He’s logged the sixth-most innings pitched over the last three years, has averaged 2.5 fWAR over the last four, and is under contract for multiple years while being a bargain compared to if the team acquiring him dipped into the free agent pool (see Luis Severino’s contract from last offseason).

So there’s value there.

There’s also value in keeping him for those exact reasons I mentioned above. He can help stabilize the team’s greatest strength, because if the rotation slips, the Pirates aren’t going to spend enough to have an offense to pick them up.

I’ve always felt like Braxton Ashcraft brings a strong mix of upside, yet some actual major league success. He threw 69.2 innings last season and posted a 2.71 ERA. There are questions about how he will hold up over a full season (he threw 118 innings overall last year), but there is a baseline for success in the majors.

In the end, Keller is probably the guy who gets moved if there is another trade, but I don’t think that’s the team’s only option.

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