Pirates No Longer Linked To Three-Time Batting Champion

With the regular season just a few months away, the Pittsburgh Pirates are still trying to figure out who they should add to round out their infield.

According to Just Baseball, Luis Arraez is no longer a candidate. The 29-year-old could've been a key utility player for this Pirates team, but they recently changed their prediction to the Cleveland Guardians.

Arraez is projected to get a two-year, $20 million deal. There's a chance that price is a bit too steep for the Pirates on someone they don't need that badly in the first place.

If Pittsburgh is going to put their money somewhere, it should be spent on a guy like Eugenio Suarez. Again, that is far from confirmed, but would be a much better option as now Arraez is seemingly off the table.

Pirates No Longer Linked To Luis Arraez

Arraez is coming off a solid 2025 season in San Diego with the Padres where he slashed .292/.327/.392. His OPS sat at .719 which is tied for the lowest of his career.

While not everyone thinks WAR is the best stat to go off of, his was 1.3 which is the highest it's been since 2023. Obviously, it being 1.3 is still a huge difference than when it was 4.9 on the Miami Marlins. Either way, it's good to see it trending in the right direction after a down 2024 season.

At the end of the day, Ryan Finkelstein acknowledged the lefty is a three-time batting champion. Even though he switched his prediction from Pittsburgh to Cleveland, that doesn't mean Arraez couldn't end up back in the Pirates radar should a few other things not go their way.

Starting Arraez In 2026

"He does not hit for power, can’t defend, and isn’t particularly great on the basepaths," Finkelstein said in regard to Arraez. "With that said, the guy gets hits, leading the National League in that department this past season."

Knowing Pittsburgh went out and got a few bats already, it's not hard to see why Finkelstein originally linked the team to Arraez. He may be a scary start, and doesn't seem like a good way to spend $20 million, but if the team was in no other position, this would've been a logical destination.

At the end of the day, the Pirates are continuing to make moves that improve them on both sides of the ball. Pitching hasn't necessarily been addressed, but getting an offense that actually gives their rotation run support is far more important at this stage.

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