Pittsburgh Pirates Non-tender deadline preview
Last chance to tender contracts for the 2025 season
The deadline to tender contracts to players for the 2025 season is today, at 8 pm ET. This gets more attention to the arbitration-eligible players, as it is a way to cut ties with players who perhaps underperformed but could still be due for a pay increase.
Teams still have to tender contracts to non-arbitration-eligible players, as we saw last year when Hunter Stratton and Osvaldo Bido got non-tendered.
Here’s a look at the eight players who are arbitration-eligible for the Pirates, along with their projected arbitration salaries on MLBTR:
David Bednar, $6.6 million
2024 stats: 3-8, 23 SV, 57.2 IP, 5.77 ERA, -0.2 fWAR, 28 BB, 58 K
It was a rough season for Bednar, who blew eight saves and was removed as the closer towards the end of the season in favor of Aroldis Chapman. He dealt with some injuries early in the season and didn’t pitch in spring training.
He had some moments in the middle of the season, but it wasn’t enough.
The predicted salary will scare some off, but there has to be 100% belief in the front office that there is no salvaging Bednar for him not to return.
Dennis Santana, $1.8 million
2024 stats (with Pirates): 1-1, SV, 44.1 IP, 2.44 ERA, 1.1 fWAR, 11 BB, 50 K
One of the more pleasant surprises for the Pirates, Santana was plucked off waivers from the Yankees and was fantastic down the stretch.
While the bullpen was at the root of a lot of the troubles down the stretch, Santana was a solid presence.
He’ll return and likely get an opportunity to lock up a spot in the back of the bullpen.
Johan Oviedo, $1.5 million
No stats in 2024
Oviedo missed the entire 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery during the offseason. He’ll return and likely be slowly worked back into the picture. He has options, so that could be in the minors.
Colin Holderman, $1.4 million
2024 stats: 3-6, 51.1 IP, 3.16 ERA, 0.2 fWAR, 25 BB, 56 K
While he went through his own stretch of bad play, it was mostly a strong season for Holderman. The Pirates have more righty options going into next year than left-handed ones. Still, Holderman should play a factor in the bullpen to some extent in 2025.
Bailey Falter, $2.8 million
2024 stats: 8-9, 142.1 IP, 4.43 ERA, 1.7 fWAR, 45 BB, 97 K
For a back-of-the-rotation starter, Falter put in a very solid season for the Pirates in 2024, winning eight games and making 28 starts. He’s a potential trade candidate as the Pirates look to add more hitting for the 2025 season.
There should be some value there, $2.8 million for a left-handed pitcher that can give you 150 innings should attract some attention.
If he isn’t traded, he’ll hold down a spot in the back of potentially one of the better rotations in baseball next year.
Connor Joe, $3.2 million
2024 stats: .228/.328/.368, 416 plate appearances, 92 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR, 9 HR, 36 RBI
In each of the last two years, Joe has entered the season as more of a platoon option, only to be forced into more action and become overexposed as a hitter. It was a rough year for Joe, and likely the easiest non-tender candidate in this group.
The addition of Billy Cook gives the Pirates a better and cheaper option at the same positions that Joe plays.
Bryan De La Cruz, $4 million
2024 stats (with Pirates): .200/.220/.294, 168 PA, 37 wRC+, -1.1 fWAR, 3 HR, 17 RBI
Ok, on paper, this might be the easiest non-tender candidate, as De La Cruz was nothing short of horrible after getting traded to the Pirates at the deadline.
What might save him is the Pirates not wanting to cut bait on someone they gave up two prospects to get. Although Garret Forrester struggled in Single-A as a college draft pick, Jun-Seok Shim’s return to the mound was not that great, and the stuff was an obvious step below what was expected.
De La Cruz struck out over 30% of his plate appearances, played bad defense after coming over, and only hit three home runs. The Pirates may not have a lot of options at the position, but I'm not sure if there is anything at all that warrants bringing De La Cruz back.
Joey Bart, $1.8 million
2024 stats: .265/.337/.462, 282 PA, 121 wRC+, 1.3 fWAR, 13 HR, 45 RBI
This is the easiest yes on this list, in general, and at that price tag. The only question with Bart is whether he can improve his defense next year. Offensively, they started to hit him in the DH spot to keep the bat in the lineup.
It’s a good thing the Pirates needed a catcher at the same time he was DFA’d by the Giants.
Tender: Bednar, Santana, Oviedo, Holderman, Falter, Bart
Non-tender: Joe, De La Cruz
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Any thought to this idea: if they think BDLC can turn it around you tender him, and then cut him in spring training if you don’t like what you see, ala JD Davis and the Giants? The Giants only had to pay about 17% of his arbitration award, which equates to under a million for BDLC. That’s a potentially affordable risk, even for the Pirates?
Joe and Dela Cruz should obviously NOT be tendered.