Three Arbitration-Eligible Players the Pirates Should Ignore
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates will make tough decisions on how they deal with their arbitration-eligible players, but there are some players they should consider non-tendering.
Salary arbitration is for players who have no less than three years and no more than six years of service time at the MLB level. The only exception are "super two" players, who have less then three years, but more than two years of service time and meet certain criteria.
Players and their respective ball club negotiate their salary for the following season and if the two parties can't come to an agreement by the deadline, generally around mid-January, they each present their salary to a panel, who listens to the arguments and makes a decision for the player or the ball club.
Teams can also non-tender players up for arbitration, where they don't give a player a contract, making them a free agent.
Three Players the Pirates Should Non-Tender
1. Outfielder Jack Suwinski (3.170): $1.7MM (Projected)
Suwinski had another terrible year at the plate for the Pirates, as he slashed .147/.281/.253 for an OPS of .534 in 59 games over two MLB stints, 22 hits in 150 at-bats, seven doubles, three home runs, 10 RBIs and 24 walks to 57 strikeouts.
This came after a poor 2024 campaign, where Suwinski slashed .182/.264/.324 for an OPS of .588 in 88 games, 45 hits in 247 at-bats, eight doubles, nine home runs, 26 RBIs and 27 walks to 79 strikeouts, which resulted in him earning two demotions to the minor leagues.
Suwinski had his best season in 2023, slashing .224/.339/.454 for an OPS of .793 in 144 games, with 100 hits, 21 doubles, two triples, a team-high 26 home runs, 74 RBIs and 75 walks to 172 strikeouts.
The Pirates and fans have both waited for Suwinski to find that form from his 2023 season, but these past two years have shown that it is unlikely he'll ever do so again.
His $1.7 million projected salary for 2026 is far too high, even with three years of control, and the Pirates should look for hitting and outfield options elsewhere.
2. RHP Colin Holderman (3.120): $1.7MM
Colin Holderman had two solid seasons with the Pirates in 2023 and 2024, posting a 3.86 ERA and a 3.16 ERA, respectively, but his 2025 campaign was his worst in the MLB so far.
Holderman struggled at the beginning of the season for the Pirates, with a 9.64 ERA in his first five appearances with five runs over 4.2 innings pitched and two blown saves in the first series vs. the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park.
He spent three weeks away from the Pirates, April 6-26, with a right knee sprain and then came back after a short rehab assignment with Indianapolis.
Holderman again pitched poorly in that last stint with the Pirates, with an 8.71 ERA over nine appearances and 10.1 innings pitched, with seven walks to five strikeouts, two home runs and 10 earned runs allowed.
He then missed almost the next three months with right thumb inflammation, or tenosynovitis, which is inflammation of the thin layer of tissue, or synovial membrane, making it hard to grip or throw a baseball.
Holderman returned for one final stint at the MLB level from Aug. 15-Sept. 12, where he made 10 bullpen appearances, with five earned runs allowed over 10.2 innings pitched for a 4.22 ERA, giving up 14 hits, five walks, hitting a batter, a home run and posting seven strikeouts.
He finished his season with a 7.01 ERA over 25.2 innings pitched, 18 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .327 opposing batting average and a 1.95 WHIP.
Holderman made $1.5 million in arbitration in 2025 and will likely earn more, even after a poor campaign.
The Pirates have better options in their bullpen, with the likes of Isaac Mattson, Carmen Mlodzinski, Dauri Moreta, Chase Shugart and Dennis Santana, that make Holderman
3. Yohan Ramírez (3.135): $1.2MM
Yohan Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on Oct. 24, 2024, but didn't make it on the roster until July 11, spending the rest of the season there, serving as a middle reliever.
He posted a 3-3 record over 24 outings, a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .246 opposing batting average and a 1.47 WHIP.
Ramírez is a solid pitcher at times, but his inconsistency showed by giving up at leats one run in 10 outings.
The Pirates could chose to re-sign him as a free agent, but as in Holderman's case, there are better options in the bullpen, and ones the Pirates could add in free agency and otherwise, that paying a projected $1.2 million for Ramírez isn't the wisest decision.
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.