Much of what Connor Joe did last season flew under the radar.
Among Pirates regulars, only Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski appeared in more games than Joe (133). His on-base percentage (.339) topped everyone but Andrew McCutchen (.378), while Joe had an OPS (.760) that most closely resembled that of Ke’Bryan Hayes (.762).
“I was happy with my power numbers, but I think there's more in the tank,” Joe said over the weekend at PiratesFest. “I’ve been exploring this offseason how to tap into that a little bit more.
“I’m excited for this year to continue with the hitting guys and see if we can do that.”
How effectively Joe accomplishes that goal could really help the Pirates offense improve, a need that has been reiterated plenty this winter.
Acquired for minor league pitcher Nick Garcia last December, Joe returned to the team that drafted him in the first round (39th overall) back in 2014. In fact, PiratesFest was an event the 31-year-old had always hoped to attend but never made it before he was traded for Sean Rodriguez in August 2017.
Back in Pittsburgh last season, Joe credited his offseason preparation for paving the way to a (mostly) healthy year, one where he made 39 starts in right field, 38 at first base and 23 in left. He was also used off the bench a bunch.
Crediting “constant communication” with the Pirates’ hitting group, Joe enjoyed a career-best offensive season, hitting .247 and tying for the team lead in doubles (31). Joe also tallied four triples, 11 home runs, 42 RBIs and 63 runs scored.
“It's been really good synergy between me and the staff,” Joe said.
The same as throughout Joe’s career, he showed a propensity to get on base via walk, rarely venturing outside his comfort zone and exemplifying the team-wide approach pushed by the Pirates.
In addition to a walk rate of 10.6%, which ranked in the 77th percentile across MLB, Joe's chase rate of 19.6% had him in the 93rd percentile.
The challenge for Joe in 2024 will be consistency.
After hitting .288 with a .962 OPS in March/April, Joe’s production mirrored the Pirates' team-wide troubles over the next two months, when he hit just .210 with a .622 OPS.
To his credit, Joe rebounded with a .278 average and .783 OPS in July, but there were lessons learned with staying aggressive and also finding success against more than left-handed pitching.
“I wanna continue being a threat in the box versus righties and lefties,” said Joe, who had an .820 OPS versus left-handed pitching. “I’ve had a lot of success against righties, and I know I can continue to have success of righties. So, that's an emphasis.
"Other than that, just keep hitting the ball hard, and that's gonna turn into numbers.”
Where Joe plays this season is the other question the Pirates must answer.
One input will be how much the Pirates plan to use McCutchen in the outfield. Another could be the success of Edward Olivares, the 27-year-old Venezuelan the Pirates picked up last month from the Royals.
Olivares has several intriguing tools and posted a better OPS+ (109) than Joe (or Hayes). In other words, the Pirates will likely need to get him at-bats.
It would make sense to platoon Joe with Rowdy Tellez at first base considering how the two mesh; Tellez, who’s looking to bounce back from a career-worst and injured-riddled 2023, hit just .174 against left-handed pitching a year ago.
Joe’s playing time there could also get squeezed if Tellez rediscovers the form that saw him mash 35 home runs in 2022.
Joe credited his spring training work with bench coach Don Kelly at first base for enabling him to feel comfortable at a relatively new spot. Joe and Kelly worked plenty throughout the regular season to stay sharp, too.
“Whenever I was out there, I always felt prepared,” Joe said. “I enjoy it. You're close to the action, you're involved in a lot of things, and you can impact the game from first base, which I liked.”
One wrinkle could be second base, where Joe practiced some in 2023. It’s a long shot, as the Pirates would rather some combination of Liover Peguero, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo or Ji Hwan Bae grab the job.
At the same time, Joe’s consistency has been an asset, and his offensive profile could provide a potential upgrade.
“I've expressed that I'm willing to move there, and I've been working there some in the offseason,” Joe said. “I’m not saying I'm gonna be a second baseman next year, but I think as many tools as I can bring makes me more valuable and helps the team.”
Arbitration avoided
The Pirates avoided arbitration with four players on Thursday, sources told the Post-Gazette. The news means they will not be going to arbitration with anyone.
David Bednar and the team agreed to a $4.51 million salary for 2024, while Connor Joe settled at $2.125 million. Mitch Keller received $5.442 million, and Edward Olivares got $1.35 million.
Bednar was projected to make $4.7 million, Joe $2 million, Keller $6 million and Olivares $1.8 million. They previously agreed upon contracts for 2024 with Ryan Borucki and JT Brubaker.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG
First Published: January 11, 2024, 4:34 p.m.
Updated: January 11, 2024, 7:51 p.m.