Pittsburgh Pirates DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales has gotten off to a fast start at Triple-A Indianapolis. Gonzales is sporting an OPS of 1.043 with a homer and two doubles for the year. The former first-rounder has been on prospect lists for years, and 2024 appears to be a pivotal year for the infielder. Pittsburgh has a lot of young talent, and the former New Mexico State Aggie will aim to make a push to rejoin the Pirates this summer. Fantasy managers should monitor Gonzales, and if his hot start continues, he could provide depth at a relatively thin position.

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen is taking the day off on Thursday against the Washington Nationals. With McCutchen getting a breather, outfielder Connor Joe will serve as the team's DH on Thursday and bat fifth, with Jack Suwinski getting the start in left field and hitting cleanup against Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray. Suwinski is hitting .333 in his career in just six at-bats against Gray with a solo home runs, so he could be a sneaky low-cost DFS play as he draws into Pittsburgh's lineup. Joe is hitless in his six career at-bats versus Gray. The 37-year-old McCutchen is off to a slow start this year after a nice bounce-back performance in 2023 in his return to the Bucs. He's currently 3-for-16 (.188) with two RBI and nine strikeouts in 21 plate appearances over his first four games.

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said on Tuesday that catcher Yasmani Grandal (foot) is "still a ways away" from returning. Grandal was held to two spring training games before being diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his foot and is just beginning his running progression, per Shelton. The 35-year-old switch-hitting backstop signed a one-year deal with the Bucs this past offseason to serve as catching depth and a veteran presence, but he won't be on any fantasy radars any time soon. His All-Star days likely well behind him, Grandal slashed a poor .234/.309/.339 with eight home runs, 14 doubles, and 33 RBI through 405 plate appearances for the Chicago White Sox in 2023. With Jason Delay (knee) and Endy Rodriguez (elbow) also out of action, Pittsburgh will rely on former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and the newly-acquired Joey Bart for playing time behind the dish for the time being.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are acquiring catcher Joey Bart from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for right-hander Austin Strickland. San Francisco designated Bart for assignment on Sunday, but they've found a suitor for the backstop's services before he hits waivers. The 2018 No. 2 overall pick was once perceived by the Giants organization as the successor to potential future Hall of Famer Buster Posey, but he slashed a mere .219/.288/.335 with 11 home runs, 38 RBI, 59 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 503 career plate appearances. The 27-year-old former top prospect will look for a fresh start with the Bucs and battle for playing time behind the dish with Henry Davis, who was Pittsburgh's No. 3 prospect for 2023, per MLB Pipeline. Although he'll have a chance to carve out a part-time role, Bart is not worth adding in redraft fantasy leagues at the moment.

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman earned his first save of the season in Monday's 8-4 win over the Nationals. The 36-year-old entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning up by four with two outs and runners on first and second and ended things with a fly-out. This was not a typical save situation, which may explain why Chapman was called upon instead of David Bednar. Chapman has looked solid this season, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. He may get some save opportunities throughout the season but is likely only going to be a source of strong ratios for now.