Pirates Named Winners of the Offseason
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have made big changes in how they approach their offseason and its shown in the moves they've made.
The Pirates have made strong additions this winter, especially with their lineup, which needed great improvements after an awful 2025 campaign.
Pittsburgh made their first multi-year signing since 2016 in Ryan O'Hearn for two years, $29 million, also making him the first multi-year position player free agent signing since 2015.
The Pirates also swung big trades for a five players, with the most important ones in second baseman Brandon Lowe, who hit 31 home runs in 2025, from the Tampa Bay Rays and top 100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon García, a power bat for the future, from the Boston Red Sox.
Moves like these haven't just reinvigorated the fan base, they've impressed national media and insiders as well.
MLB Insider Praises Pirates' Offseason Moves
Jeff Passan of ESPN named the Pirates amongst his winners of the offseason in an article on Jan.1 4
Passan originally reported back on Nov. 18 that the Pirates were looking to spend and that they were targeting high-profile free agents.
While the Pirates missed out on a few of those, such as Kyle Schwarber and Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto, they did make strong additions that Passan liked.
He also liked them adding left-handed pitchers in Mason Montgomery from the trade with the Rays and signing free agent Gregory Soto on a one-year, $7.75 million deal.
Passan said that the Pirates will make more moves and that they're making the right decisions, something they haven't done recently.
"This is not necessarily a reason to celebrate — owner Bob Nutting needs to show a lot more than one active winter to reengage a fan base scarred by years of negligence — but at least it is one step in a direction with which Pittsburgh is eminently unfamiliar," Passan wrote.
Why Moves Pirates Made Are Important
The Pirates were one of the worst hitting teams in baseball last season, ranking amongst the bottom in most statistics.
Stat | Total | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
Batting Average | .231 | 28th |
On-Base Percentage | .305 | 23rd |
Slugging Percentage | .350 | 30th |
OPS | .655 | 30th |
Stat | Total | MLB Rank |
|---|---|---|
Hits | 1,244 | 28th |
Home Runs | 117 | 30th |
RBI | 561 | 30th |
Runs Scored | 583 | 30th |
Total Bases | 1,882 | 30th |
Lowe and O'Hearn are both left-handed bats that will take advantage of the dimensions at PNC Park and add power to a team that ranked last in home runs.
The Pirates also added outfielder Jake Mangum in the trade with the Rays, who is only just beginning his MLB career, but can play all three outfield spots and should hit near .300 in 2026.
García may not be with the Pirates on Opening Day, but he is a right-handed bat that should eventually come up to Pittsburgh and hit some home runs into the left field bleachers.
Soto and Montgomery fill the absence of left-handed pitchers the Pirates previously had and provide experience and velocity, respectively.
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.