It has been reported that the Buccos have shown interest in free agent corner outfield Randal Grichuk. It is known the Pirates could use at least another platoon option in the outfield especially after letting Connor Joe and Bryan De La Cruz walk. Both of those players bat right-handed, and so does Randal.
Please take the time to read a previous article about how Reynolds and McCutchen need to step up against LHP, We Need More From McCutchen and Reynolds when facing LHP
In the article it describes how the Pirates are in lack of top of order bats against LHP. Hayes has been the only proven bat that can consistently hit LHP. Bart and Gonzalez did it last year, but not previously in the majors over a full season. Who knows if Hayes will even be healthy, and McCutchen and Reynolds were below average against LHP last year. Nick Yorke and Billy Cook are unproven, and no one else has hit MLB LHP on the roster well enough to bat at the top half of the order.
Perhaps this is where Randal Grichuk can help? Last year Grichuk slashed .319/.386/.528 against LHP with a wRC+ of 151. That would make only him and Joey Bart on the roster who had a .900+ OPS against LHP last year. Grichuk had a triple slash line in 2023 against LHP of .328/.388/.607 wRC+ 157. That would make him the only player on the roster to have a .900+ OPS against southpaws during the last two year. So he would be easily another top of the order bat.
Is there anything else that makes it seem Grichuk is a fit, even though the production described above is more than enough. Grichuk had good periphials all around last year against both rights and lefties. His whiff rate was good as was his ability to square up the ball and hit at an ideal launch angle 8 through 32 degrees.
Last year Grichuk would have been the Pirates best hitter against LHP 4-Seam fastball with an OPS of 1.144. Only Hayes had an OPS of 1.000+ last year against LHP 4-Seamers with an OPS of 1.005. He hit even better against the sinker (2-Seamer) as did Reynolds, McCutchen, and Bart. He did struggle against the slider some as did most in the lineup. Only Nicky-G and Hayes had big success against the slider and had around a full-season of ABs against LHP. That hurts Grichuk's case some, but the back 2 back years of production is undeniable.
The Bucs should consider him in a platoon role as long as this doesn't prevent them from signing Alex Verdugo. I think signing Grichuk or Verdugo is an exclusive OR, and I would rather have Verdugo. However, Grichuk definitely would have an important spot in the lineup against LHP.