Free Agent Bat Could Fix Big Pirates Roster Hole
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates struggled throughout 2025 from the plate, but one addition from free agency could make a big difference.
According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, the Pirates are in desprate need of more offense.
"Spencer Horwitz (118 OPS+) was the only player on the Pirates roster, regardless of sample size, who logged an OPS+ over 100 last season," Reuter wrote.
"With an impressive stable of young starting pitching, the front office needs to stop pinching pennies and invest in some offensive fire power to give them a chance to escape the perpetual rebuilding cycle they are caught in."
One logical target Reuter has for the Pirates is Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who is a free agent after this season.
Ozuna is coming off his 12th season at the MLB level in 2025, where he slashed .232/.355/.400 for an OPS of .755 in 145 games, with 113 hits, 19 doubles, 21 home runs, 68 RBIs and 94 walks to 144 strikeouts.
While those numbers aren't the best of his career, nor do they show the signs of a top player in baseball, he would've ranked first in home runs and walks, second in RBIs, third in hits, fifth in doubles, plus first in OPS and on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage and third in batting average on the Pirates in 2025.
The Pirates served as one of the worst hitting teams in baseball, with the lowest slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), the third lowest batting average (.231) and the eighth lowest on-base percentage (.305).
Pittsburgh also scored the least runs (583) and drove in the least RBIs (561), both lower than the 43-119 Colorado Rockies. They also hit the least home runs (117), 31 home runs less than then second-lowest team in the St. Louis Cardinals at 148 home runs, and had the seventh most strikeouts (1,422).
Ozuna has had a successful career at the MLB-level, as a three-time All-Star (2016-17, 2024), two-time Silver Slugger Award Winner (2017, 2020) and a Gold Glove Award winner in 2017.
His best season came in the 60-game shortened 2020 campaign, due to the COVID-19 campaign, where he led the National League in both home runs (18) and RBIs (56), earning All-MLB First Team honors as a result.
Ozuna spent the past five seasons with the Braves, after signing a four-year, $65 million deal ahead of the 2020 season and then staying on last season for a $16 million club option.
There are off-field concerns with Ozuna, who was arrested and charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery on May 29, 2021, with Sandy Springs Police claimed they witnessed Ozuna grab his wife, Genesis Guzman, and throw her against the wall.
Ozuna completed a diversion program, which had his charges dropped, but the MLB placed him on the Restricted List, where he missed the final 20 games of the 2021 season, plus the postseason, as the Braves won the World Series.
The Pirates have signed players who have had domestic violence accusations/charges, including pitchers in Aroldis Chapman and Domingo German.
They also kept outfielder Ji Hwan Bae, who still remains in the organization, on after his assault charge in May 2018, which led to the MLB suspending him for 30 games without pay in April 2019.
Spotrac has a calculated market value for Ozuna at two-years, $27,416,016, or about $13.7 million per year.
The Pirates haven't signed a position player, who was a free agent, to a multi-year deal since they signed John Jaso to a two-year, $8 million deal on Dec. 23, 2015.
That projected $13.7 million salary would also make him the third highest paid Pirates player in 2026, behind right fielder Bryan Reynolds at $14,250,000 and right-handed starting pitcher Mitch Keller at $16,911,500.
Ozuna has also only served as a designated hitter the past three seasons, but if Andrew McCutchen doesn't return for his 13th season with the team in 2026, they could find themselves looking at Ozuna as a reasonable option to bolster their offense next season.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.