Pirates New Additions Arrive at Spring Training
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates play in their first Spring Training game at the end of the week and recently had their top new talents arrive to Major League Camp.
Ryan O'Hearn, Marcell Ozuna and Brandon Lowe are all currently with the Pirates at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., according to Kevin Gorman of the Tribune-Review, where they start the first full-team workout the following day on Feb. 16.
Lowe arrived to Bradenton a day prior on Feb. 14 and O'Hearn just showed up as well. Ozuna isn't officially a part of the Pirates yet, as his deal is not finalized, but he has a locker in the clubhouse and is down there with the team.
Gorman also reported that right fielder Bryan Reynolds also arrived to Pirate City, meaning that the entire Pirates 40-man roster is down there.
These three additions will serve as a crucial part of the lineup, as the Pirates try and end their decade-long postseason drought.
Why These Three Additions Are Important
O'Hearn joined the Pirates on a two-year, $29 million deal, officially signing on Jan. 8. This marked the Pirates first mutli-year free agent signing since right-handed starting pitcher Iván Nova for three years, $27 million on Dec. 27, 2016 and the first multi-year free agent position player signing since outfielder John Jason for two years, $8 million on Dec. 23, 2015.
The 32-year old has had a great past three seasons as a major leaguer, coming back from numerous DFAs and excelling with the Baltimore Orioles and then the San Diego Padres at the end of last season.
Year | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage | Slugging Percentage | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | .289 | .322 | .480 | .802 |
2024 | .264 | .334 | .427 | .761 |
2025 | .281 | .366 | .437 | .803 |
Year | Hits | Doubles | Home Runs | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 100 | 22 | 14 | 60 |
2024 | 117 | 21 | 15 | 59 |
2025 | 133 | 21 | 17 | 63 |
O'Hearn earned his first All-Star nod this past season and also showed great defense at first base, where he should feature this season. He will likely also serve as designated hitter and potentially in both corner outfield spots.
Lowe is a big-time power bat that the Pirates have added, coming off a 2025 campaign where he hit 31 home runs, the most of any second baseman in baseball.
He has hit more than 20 home runs in the four seasons he's played more than 100 games in and hit 31 home runs last season, 11 more than Oneil Cruz, who led the Pirates with 20 home runs.
Season | Games | Home Runs |
|---|---|---|
2018 | 43 | 6 |
2019 | 82 | 17 |
2020 | 56 | 14 |
2021 | 149 | 39 |
2022 | 65 | 8 |
2023 | 109 | 21 |
2024 | 107 | 21 |
2025 | 134 | 31 |
Lowe is also coming off one of the best years of his career in 2025, as he slashed .256/.307/.477 for an OPS of .784 in 134 games, with 130 hits, 19 doubles, 31 home runs, 83 RBIs and 38 walks to 149 strikeouts. He earned his second All-Star nod for his performances throughout the season.
He also came in a three-team trade from the Tampa Bay Rays, which also involved the Houston Astros.
Ozuna is a right-handed power bat, unlike Lowe and O'Hearn, who both hit left-handed, addressing a need in the lineup.
He has had a successful career at the major league-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.
Ozuna has mostly served as a designated hitter the past three seasons with the Atlanta Braves, giving him full-time to focus on his hitting.
His durability and consistent power have made him a solid hitter throughout his career, hitting more than 20 home runs in every season, except one, that he's played at least 100 games in.
Season (Games) | Home Runs |
|---|---|
2014 (153) | 23 |
2015 (123) | 10 |
2016 (148) | 23 |
2017 (159) | 37 |
2018 (148) | 23 |
2019 (130) | 29 |
2022 (124) | 23 |
2023 (144) | 40 |
2024 (165) | 39 |
2025 (145) | 21 |
Ozuna didn't have as great of numbers last season, playing through a hip injury, but his 21 home runs and .755 OPS were also still better than any other Pirates player last year.
He also ranked fifth in on-base percentage and eighth in OPS amongst all qualified MLB designated hitters in 2025, while being one of just four National League hitters that have at least 20 home runs in each of the last four campaigns.
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.