North Shore Nine

I want to start this off with a bit of a caveat. This Winter Meeting wrap-up is being written from an outsider’s perspective. North Shore Nine was well represented at the Winter Meetings, but I wasn’t one of the ones there. Sure, I was in communication with those guys all week. They were keeping us all abreast of what they were up to and sharing fun little stories.

I’m writing this more from the view of a fan that wasn’t there. Maybe Jim will do a follow-up from the viewpoint of someone who was there and let everyone know what I got wrong. Let’s be honest, we all expect me to get at least most things wrong. I say Jim because we all know that DiNardo isn’t writing anything and Cody deserves a break after keeping those two knuckleheads in line all week.

There was a time when the Winter Meetings were like an early Christmas for baseball fans. Just a flurry of trades and free-agent signings. Non-stop rumors and speculation flooding out into the sports media. It was something that we all looked forward to every year. It’s been quite a while since that was the case, though. I mean the activity, not the anticipation. We still can’t help it with the anticipation.

For several years, the Winter Meetings have been fairly tame and most of us fans are only eagerly tuned in out of a sense of nostalgia. The purpose of the Winter Meetings was never really about the fans, of course. But it became a huge event for us to mark on our calendars. The purpose, of course, was to get everyone together in the same location to allow all of that beginning of free-agency and trade season activity to flourish. Back before everyone in the world carried around a little computer in their pocket that allowed them access and the ability to communicate at any time they choose. That’s no longer necessary, so, naturally, the Winter Meetings have evolved into something different. That doesn’t mean that it’s any less meaningful. It’s just different. It’s more for those who are in attendance and less about the fans boisterously refreshing their social media feeds hoping to find that their team did something impactful.

Teams, players, and agents all still show up and participate as they always have. When I say that things have changed, I’m speaking more about the urgency of getting things wrapped up while everyone is still together. These days it’s easy enough to keep the dialogue open once everyone goes back to their respective home bases. We’re in an age where communication isn’t dependent upon proximity. I believe this is the main factor in there being much less activity at these meetings. I imagine that most participants still look forward to the meetings, though. Talking to people on the phone and through video chat is nice, but nothing beats a face-to-face meeting. Being able to sit down and break bread or have a cocktail with members of the baseball community that you’ve worked with for years. The meetings take on more of a social atmosphere rather than a business-oriented one.

The object of most people’s attention for the Winter Meetings was where Shohei Ohtani would sign. That will now become the object of most people’s attention after the Winter Meetings. As has been the case since free agency began, there are fairly regular leaks that a signing is imminent. It might be time for Merriam-Webster to make some alterations to the meaning of that word. It does feel like the Ohtani sweepstakes are holding up the rest of the free-agent starting pitching market and that’s the Pirates’ biggest need. We did see Juan Soto traded to the Yankees. That was probably the biggest move made during the course of the meetings. Craig Kimbrel, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Jeimer Candelario also found new teams.

The Pirates weren’t completely silent at the meetings this year. There were a couple of moves made. They signed free-agent relief pitcher Ben Heller to a minor-league deal. That’s not a move void of any potential upside, but it really doesn’t move the needle either. They also made a trade with the Mariners for left-handed starting pitcher Marco Gonzales. Another move that doesn’t move the needle much. Sure, it addresses the biggest area of need for the team though in a negligible way. My colleague Neil did a wonderful job breaking that trade down here. Then there was the draft lottery where the Pirates landed the number nine overall pick in next year’s MLB Draft.

So, where does this leave the Bucs now that the meetings have ended? Well, they still have significant needs at starting pitching. They will need to find a way to fill that void in a competent way if the goal is still to be competitive in 2024. There are still free-agent pitchers available, but it is yet to be seen whether the team is willing to spend in that market. History isn’t a friend on that topic. Trading could also be an option. Regardless of approach, it will be imperative to add talent to the starting rotation. They will absolutely not be able to compete with the starting pitching currently on the roster. First base is also an area where they could use some help. It would be possible to work their way through the season with options available internally, but I wouldn’t consider that ideal. If addressing that option internally means more money available to spend on starting pitching, then I guess it might not be the worst approach. In other words, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.