RRosternomics
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Pirates PIT

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GM: Neal Huntington

Overview

REBUILD ↘ cooling
cheap & losing · year 2 in this regime · payroll 0.75× league · TAB -3.5
-3.5TAB — talent above budget19th/30
-3.2WAB — realized wins (TAB + luck)18th/30
7.0depth — 2+ WAR regulars11th/30
-5.1dead WAR — sub-replacement drag14th/30
43%dead money %18th/30
0.463win %20th/30
27.1roster fWAR19th/30
-7surplus $M (value vs cost)14th/30
$98Mpayroll $M24th/30

Roster

CFAndrew McCutchen 139GStarling Marte 25GGregory Polanco 6G
LFStarling Marte 56GAdam Frazier 52GGregory Polanco 25G
RFGregory Polanco 68GJohn Jaso 46GJosé Osuna 25G
SSJordy Mercer 144GMax Moroff 16GSean Rodríguez 6G
2BJosh Harrison 83GAdam Frazier 42GMax Moroff 28G
3BDavid Freese 116GJosh Harrison 49GSean Rodríguez 14G
1BJosh Bell 147GJohn Jaso 29GJosé Osuna 23G
STARTERSGerrit Cole 3.6WARJameson Taillon 3.1WARTrevor Williams 2.2WARChad Kuhl 2.1WARIván Nova 1.6WAR
CFrancisco Cervelli 78GElias Díaz 55GChris Stewart 48G
DHDavid Freese 3GJosh Bell 2GAndrew McCutchen 2G
BULLPEN★ Felipe Vázquez 21svDaniel Hudson 21hJoaquín Benoit 13hGeorge Kontos 11hWade LeBlanc 4hA.J. Schugel 4hDovydas Neverauskas 2hJohnny Barbato 1h
CFrancisco Cervelli 78 · Elias Díaz 55 · Chris Stewart 48
1BJosh Bell 147 · John Jaso 29 · José Osuna 23
2BJosh Harrison 83 · Adam Frazier 42 · Max Moroff 28
3BDavid Freese 116 · Josh Harrison 49 · Sean Rodríguez 14
SSJordy Mercer 144 · Max Moroff 16 · Sean Rodríguez 6
LFStarling Marte 56 · Adam Frazier 52 · Gregory Polanco 25
CFAndrew McCutchen 139 · Starling Marte 25 · Gregory Polanco 6
RFGregory Polanco 68 · John Jaso 46 · José Osuna 25
DHDavid Freese 3 · Josh Bell 2 · Andrew McCutchen 2
SPGerrit Cole 3.6 · Jameson Taillon 3.1 · Trevor Williams 2.2 · Chad Kuhl 2.1 · Iván Nova 1.6
BP★ Felipe Vázquez 21 · Daniel Hudson 21 · Joaquín Benoit 13 · George Kontos 11 · Wade LeBlanc 4 · A.J. Schugel 4 · Dovydas Neverauskas 2 · Johnny Barbato 1

Each position lists its starter then backups by games (so platoons & bench show). Starters (mound) & bullpen (left, foul territory) are ranked by WAR; ★ marks the closer (most save chances). MLB Stats API.

2017 roster — value & surplus

PlayerAgeServiceGfWARSalary $MSurplus $M
Andrew McCutchen 30 FA-elig 1563.6 14.0 -1.7
Gerrit Cole 26 arb 343.6 3.8 +8.2
Jameson Taillon 25 pre-arb 253.1 0.6 +9.9
Josh Harrison 29 FA-elig 1282.8 7.8 +1.5
Felipe Vázquez 25 pre-arb 732.3 0.6 +7.1
Trevor Williams 25 pre-arb 312.2 0.5 +7.0
Chad Kuhl 24 pre-arb 332.1 0.6 +6.4
Jordy Mercer 30 arb 1451.9 4.3 +2.2
David Freese 34 FA-elig 1301.8 6.2 -0.1
Iván Nova 30 FA-elig 311.6 7.7 -2.3
Juan Nicasio↔ PHI 30 FA-elig 651.3 3.1 +1.2
Starling Marte 28 arb 771.2 5.3 -1.4
Josh Bell 24 pre-arb 1590.9 0.5 +2.4
Adam Frazier 25 pre-arb 1210.7 0.5 +2.0
Steven Brault 25 pre-arb 120.4 0.1 +1.2
Francisco Cervelli 31 FA-elig 810.4 9.0 -7.7
George Kontos↔ SFG 32 FA-elig 150.4 0.4 +0.8
Max Moroff 24 pre-arb 560.3 0.3 +0.6
John Jaso 33 FA-elig 1260.3 4.0 -3.0
Wade LeBlanc 32 FA-elig 500.2 0.8 -0.0
Josh Lindblom 30 – 40.2 0.1 +0.6
A.J. Schugel 28 pre-arb 320.2 0.3 +0.4
Daniel Hudson 30 FA-elig 710.2 5.5 -4.9
Jacob Stallings 27 pre-arb 50.2 0.1 +0.5
Christopher Bostick 24 – 200.2 – –
Jack Leathersich↔ CHC 26 pre-arb 60.1 0.1 +0.4
Gregory Polanco 25 arb 1080.1 1.6 -1.2
Gift Ngoepe 27 pre-arb 280.1 0.1 +0.1
Jhan Mariñez↔ MIL 28 FA-elig 240.0 0.3 -0.2
Edgar Santana 25 – 190.0 0.1 -0.1
Tony Watson↔ LAD 32 FA-elig 470.0 3.7 -3.7
John Bormann 24 – 1-0.0 0.0 -0.1
Tyler Glasnow 23 pre-arb 18-0.0 0.5 -0.7
Dovydas Neverauskas 24 – 24-0.1 0.1 -0.4
Dan Runzler 32 pre-arb 8-0.2 0.1 -0.6
Alen Hanson↔ CHW 24 pre-arb 37-0.2 0.2 -0.9
Danny Ortiz 27 – 9-0.2 0.0 -0.8
Johnny Barbato 24 pre-arb 24-0.2 0.2 -1.0
Sean Rodríguez↔ ATL 32 FA-elig 39-0.2 4.2 -5.0
Angel Sánchez 27 – 8-0.3 0.1 -1.0
Jordan Luplow 23 – 27-0.3 0.1 -1.0
José Osuna 24 – 104-0.3 0.5 -1.5
Joaquín Benoit↔ PHI 39 FA-elig 8-0.4 1.2 -2.4
Antonio Bastardo 31 FA-elig 9-0.5 6.6 -8.3
Phil Gosselin↔ TEX 28 arb 28-0.6 0.4 -2.3
Chris Stewart 35 FA-elig 51-0.6 1.4 -3.3
Elias Díaz 26 pre-arb 64-1.1 0.3 -3.8

Key additions (new vs 2016)

PlayerfWAR
George Kontos0.4
Josh Lindblom0.2
Daniel Hudson0.2
Christopher Bostick0.2
Jack Leathersich0.1
Gift Ngoepe0.1

Key subtractions (gone from 2016)

Player2016 fWAR
Jung Ho Kang2.9
Matt Joyce1.8
Mark Melancon0.9
Francisco Liriano0.3
Jeff Locke0.2
Ryan Vogelsong0.0

Current & Historical Payroll

2017 payroll
$97.9M
2018 guaranteed
$0M

What the front office was committed to as of 2017, 2017–2023. Guaranteed $ are contract commitments signed by 2017; arbitration & free-agent years are projected from service time. Hover a figure for its luxury-tax (CBT) & actual-cash values.

current $ guaranteed $ arbitration (proj) pre-arb (proj) free agent club option player option mutual option vesting option

Guaranteed / signed (11)

PlayerAgeSvc2017201820192020202120222023
Andrew McCutchen307.123$14.0MFREE AGENT
Francisco Cervelli316.146$9.0MFREE AGENT
Iván Nova306.024$7.7MFREE AGENT
Antonio Bastardo318.000$6.6MFREE AGENT
David Freese347.028$6.2MFREE AGENT
Daniel Hudson306.117$5.5MFREE AGENT
Sean Rodríguez327.133$4.2MFREE AGENT
John Jaso337.032$4.0MFREE AGENT
Chris Stewart356.091$1.4MFREE AGENT
Joaquín Benoit3915.040$1.2MFREE AGENT
Angel Sánchez276.144$117kFREE AGENT

Arbitration-eligible (9)

PlayerAgeSvc2017201820192020202120222023
Josh Harrison295.033$7.8MFREE AGENT
Starling Marte284.070$5.3MARB 3FREE AGENT
Jordy Mercer304.095$4.3MARB 3FREE AGENT
Gerrit Cole263.111$3.8MARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tony Watson325.101$3.7MFREE AGENT
Juan Nicasio305.084$3.1MFREE AGENT
Wade LeBlanc323.131$750kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
George Kontos323.171$404kARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Phil Gosselin284.000$392kARB 3FREE AGENT

Pre-arbitration (27)

PlayerAgeSvc2017201820192020202120222023
Gregory Polanco252.103$1.6MARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Felipe Vázquez251.162$564kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jameson Taillon250.110$555kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Chad Kuhl240.079$550kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Adam Frazier250.100$550kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Bell240.053$549kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Trevor Williams250.027$544kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Tyler Glasnow230.066$541kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
José Osuna240.000$488kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Max Moroff240.004$336kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jhan Mariñez281.095$302kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Elias Díaz260.167$272kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
A.J. Schugel281.004$266kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Johnny Barbato241.008$208kPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Alen Hanson240.038$189kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Josh Lindblom300.000$143kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dovydas Neverauskas240.000$137kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Steven Brault250.037$137kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Edgar Santana250.000$132kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jordan Luplow230.000$114kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jacob Stallings270.037$114kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Gift Ngoepe270.072$99kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Dan Runzler322.071$64kARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Jack Leathersich260.091$55kPre-ArbPre-ArbARB 1ARB 2ARB 3FREE AGENT
Danny Ortiz27–$23k
John Bormann24–$3k
Christopher Bostick24–—

Graphs

Every roster slot ranked best→worst by WAR. Bars = Pirates 2017; the black line = the league-average player at each slot that season. Staying above the line deep into the roster is the depth edge; dropping below it = holes & dead weight.

What each regime is worth — every settled team-season since 1985

RegimeSeasonsWin %Playoff %Pennant %WS %
WINDOW 28152.131.05.01.1
CONTEND 30056.964.719.710.3
FORCED-SPEND 25648.09.81.61.6
REBUILD 32143.31.20.30.3
Rosternomics — quantifying front-office skill, attribution-clean. Follow @rosternomics on X. Decision-makers on record back to 1933; resource-controlled metrics (WAR & payroll) cover 1985–2026.
Data: FanGraphs (WAR), Baseball-Reference & the Chadwick Bureau register (rosters, IDs), the Lahman Database, Baseball America prospect rankings (via The Baseball Cube), and public payroll records. Transaction and trade data was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Executive birth/death data via Wikidata (CC0); bios are original. Emoji graphics by OpenMoji (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All figures are franchise-level outcomes credited to the decision-maker in the acquisition year — not solely attributable to one executive.