3 Pirates Who Won't Be on the Roster at the Start of the 2023 Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently own a record of 49-81 and look well on their way to missing the MLB Playoffs for the seventh year in a row. This is a team that is in the midst of an obvious rebuild and continues to shape its roster with the future in mind. Don't expect that to change in the offseason.

Not only is the front office going to be focused on its search for young free agents, but it is also going to be focused on the disposing of players that don't help them years down the road. With that being said, here's a look at three Pirates players who won't be on the roster next Opening Day.

Pittsburgh Pirates Roster

1. Roberto Perez, C

The Pirates signed catcher Roberto Perez to a one-year deal worth $5 million last offseason with hopes that he could act as a stopgap option behind the plate. He had performed well in that role early in the season, smacking a pair of home runs in 21 games. That was when Perez suffered a season-ending rupturing of his hamstring, though. There's little reason to believe Pittsburgh would want to bring the 33-year-old back despite their need for a starting catcher. Combing through the free agent market for a younger option with higher upside lines up to be a much more logical move for a rebuilding team.

2. Ben Gamel, OF

Veteran Ben Gamel finds himself in a similar position to Perez. He has done everything the Pirates have asked him to since being claimed off waivers during the 2021 season. He is slashing .243/.326/.380 to go along with 78 runs scored, 35 doubles, 15 home runs and 66 RBI in 205 games with Pittsburgh overall. The only problem is that he is past his prime at 30 years of age and likely wants to sign with a contender if possible. Seeing the Pirates bring Gamel back on any sort of free agent deal would be surprising given their goal of getting younger in any way they can.

3. Bryan Reynolds, OF

Of course, it's hard to talk about the Pirates offseason plans without mentioning the possibility of a blockbuster trade involving All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds has had his name floated around in talks for the last two seasons and it's not difficult to understand why. The 27-year-old owns a career slash line of .281/.360/.482 and has logged 92 doubles in 462 games. It may seem dumb to trade the one of the only players on the roster with an established history of success, but Reynolds would net Pittsburgh a massive package of talented prospects in return. That's exactly what a team committed to a rebuild is always looking for.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.