When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Kevin Newman last week, they traded away a unique piece of experience. Newman was the last player on this roster who knew what it was like to play for a winning team in Pittsburgh.
Newman, drafted in the first round in 2015, made his MLB debut in 2018, in a year when the Pirates went 82-80. He was called up on August 16, 2018, and made 97 plate appearances the remainder of the season. It’s hardly much of a winning season, but it was a winning season.
The Pirates have players with winning experience on their roster.