Major League Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates: C-

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 2:19 a.m. ET

Sports Illustrated

Preliminary Grade (Jan. 27): C-

Key moves since preliminary grade: Acquired 2B Phil Gosselin from Diamondbacks for RHP Frank Duncan; acquired RHP Pat Light from Twins for a player to be named later

It’s a testament to the work of GM Neal Huntington and his front office cohorts that the Pirates have raised the level of expectations to the point that a quiet offseason after a playoff-free campaign—their first since 2012—feels like a disappointment. Even so, the minor league system continues to produce quality reinforcements, and the reshuffling of their outfield to put Starling Marte in center and the still-un-traded Andrew McCutchen in right could help the team both in the short term (via improved defense) and the long one (by restoring Cutch’s trade value).