Contract sizes will be the biggest priority for all.
There's a lot that has to happen for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the next couple of months, and there are actually some exciting things that could happen because of that. That's not to say there won't be disappointing situations, such as the Pirates potentially losing Brandon Lowe in free agency, but plenty of players out there could help this organization.
If Pittsburgh does the right things for once, there's reason to believe that it can be one of the better teams in the National League next season.
I understand that some fans are very frustrated by what happened this year, and rightfully so. I wouldn't say that the Pirates have been perfect by any means, but I also think it's important to recognize that Pittsburgh finally tried to win, even if it didn't end up doing so.
The Pirates showed that they're somewhat willing to spend money, and there's something to be said about that.
Among the players who could be available, a guy like Jazz Chisholm Jr. should interest Pirates fans.
According to CBS, his market value has dropped in terms of a potential contract, and that's even better for Pittsburgh.
“He's one year late on the ideal time to hit free agency. Chisholm last season was a 30-30 guy with a 122 OPS+ and 4.1 WAR. This season, he's hitting .232/.312/.403 (98 OPS+) with 19 homers and 1.4 WAR.
"His defense was never great, but it's been bad this season, while his strikeout rate is back up around 30% after being 27.9% last season. There's still plenty of potential to dream on and he won't have trouble finding good offers heading toward his age-29 season, but this season has been a definitive step backward,” CBS wrote.
I say that his market value dropping is better for Pittsburgh because we all know that the Pirates aren't a team that's going to go out and spend a ton of money.
Even if we want the team to, this ownership group hasn't shown it's willing to.
With Chisholm potentially being cheaper because he didn't have a great year, he's the exact type of guy I'd be willing to take a flyer on.
