3) Pittsburgh Pirates
Even if it seems the Pittsburgh Pirates always end up spoiling the Mets’ regular season plans, it’s a very satisfying feeling to see them actually add good players. They’ve been unusually active this offseason, even giving Kyle Schwarber an offer.
Their failure to land Schwarber didn’t stop them. They’ve since traded for Brandon Lowe and ex-Mets prospect Jake Mangum who had a really good year with the Tampa Bay Rays. Pittsburgh’s quest to keep Paul Skenes and Livvy Dunne happy extended to signing Ryan O’Hearn in free agency as well.
Not to be overlooked, they traded Johan Oviedo earlier in the offseason for Boston Red Sox prospect Jhostynxon Garcia. Even Mets free agent Gregory Soto got an invite for a year and $7.5 million cash.
Pittsburgh is quietly putting together a nice little team. In the NL Central where it often feels like one of the better-looking teams comes up short every year, there’s room for them to make headway in the standings. Three teams from the NL Central went to the playoffs last year. We should expect them to add at least one more notable player this winter as we cross our fingers and hope it isn’t someone the Mets are in a stand-off with.