With a critical offseason coming up for the Pittsburgh Pirates, there are a few things I don't want the organization to do.
If there's one thing that has to happen, it's improving offensively. The Pirates seem set for the foreseeable future on the mound, as long as some of their young talent can stay healthy and throw the baseball at the level that everybody expects them to.
Regarding where they could look to find offensive help, I want the Pirates to go out and land an outfielder. There will be many options for them to do so, but there's one player that I want them to stay far away from, who they were recently linked to by Noah Wright of FanSided.
Wright suggested that Jose Siri, who was designated for assignment by the New York Mets, could be a potential option for the Pirates to pursue this winter.
“Jose Siri was acquired by the New York Mets last offseason with the hope he could provide some pop and a strong glove in center field. However, he missed most of the year with a broken tibia, appearing in just 16 games, recording two hits and 17 Ks in 36 plate appearances. He was then DFA'd during late September, and outrighted to Triple-A. However, when he is healthy, Siri is a potential Gold Glove center fielder with 20/20 power and speed...
“Siri's offense wasn't great, but it was playable when paired with his defense. Siri had +14 defensive runs saved with a whopping +32 outs above average with the Rays. Since making his debut with the Houston Astros in 2021, his +39 OAA is the sixth-best total in baseball,” he wrote.
I understand the idea of Siri being a decent player, considering what he's shown for parts of his career.
However, when he's played more than 100 games, he's typically been very average to below average. Outside of his 2023 campaign with the Tampa Bay Rays, when he posted a 105 OPS+ and hit 25 home runs, he simply hasn't been great.
He posted a -15 OPS+ with the New York Mets in 36 plate appearances last year, and has a career 85 OPS+.
If the Pirates are serious about winning, there are many better options for them to pursue this winter.