Pirates Offseason Outlook After Eugenio Suárez News
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have targeted Eugenio Suárez for most of this offseason, but they must change their strategy.
Suárez signed with National League Central Division rival in the Cincinnati Reds on a one-year, $15 million contract, which also includes a mutual option for 2027, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
The Pirates, who have looked for a corner infielder all offseason, had interest in Suárez, as he fits their need position wise and as a right-handed power bat, but instead, goes back to the team he spent the most time in his MLB career, seven seasons from 2015-21.
Pittsburgh now has to make some big decisions on how they'll address that positional need with only about a week until pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training.
Why Missing Out on Suárez is a Big Loss
Suárez has been one of the better power hitters in baseball in recent years, with only five other players hitting more home runs than him since 2018.
He has never hit less than 21 home runs in a season in his career, where he played more than 100 games, which is more than any Pirates player had this season, with center fielder Oneil Cruz leading with 20 home runs.
Suárez also hit 49 home runs last season, fifth most in all of baseball. The Pirates have also had only one player hit more home runs than that in a season in franchise history in Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner.
Season (Games) | Home Runs |
|---|---|
2016 (159) | 21 |
2017 (156) | 26 |
2018 (143) | 34 |
2019 (159) | 49 |
2021 (145) | 31 |
2022 (140) | 31 |
2023 (162) | 22 |
2024 (158) | 30 |
2025 (159) | 49 |
The Pirates were an awful hitting team in 2025, but especially when it came to power, hitting the least home runs, 117, in the major leagues, 31 less than the next team, the St. Louis Cardinals, at 148 home runs.
Pittsburgh, as a result, also ranked last in slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), while scoring the least RBI (561) and runs (583).
The Pirates also don't have a set third baseman, as they traded longtime starter Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Reds at the deadline.
Jared Triolo now looks like the likely third baseman starter, after having a strong two months at the plate to end 2025 and featuring exclusively there from September onwards.
Pittsburgh has addressed power concerns, with the likes of second baseman Brandon Lowe in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, outfield prospect Jhostynxon García in a trade with the Boston Red Sox and signing free agent Ryan O'Hearn.
Lowe hit the most home runs for any second baseman in 2025 with 31. O'Hearn has hit more than 15 home runs per season and has averaged a .800 OPS and García has hit more than 20 home runs in the minor leagues the past two years.
Both Lowe and O'Hearn are left-handed bats, which works well for the dimensions of PNC Park, but makes the Pirates a very left-handed lineup, along with Cruz, switch hitting right fielder Bryan Reynolds and first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
García has great power potential, but has just seven at-bats at the major league level in a short stint with the Red Sox last season.
Where Do the Pirates Go From Here?
The Pirates now have to find a corner infielder, if possible, while also adding a right-handed bat, which is a difficult proposition at this point in the offseason.
Pittsburgh has had interest in other free agent third baseman options this winter, like Willi Castro, Jorge Polanco and Yoán Moncada, but they all signed elsewhere.
Remaining free agent third baseman options include a former Pirates player like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but also Ramón Urías and Luis Rengifo may serve as veterans who would take on cheap deals.
The Pirates could also look at the trade market, where they have prospects that could persuade other teams, who might want to move on from a corner infielder.
One issue with that is most teams are looking for a chance to make the postseason and they want major league ready players, not prospects for their talent.
The Pirates had to trade right-handed starting pitchers in Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox and then Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros in the three-team trade with the Rays, just to get what they wanted this offseason.
Some options that the Pirates would benefit from, including Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies and Brent Baty of the New York Mets, are players those franchises either now need or can see playing other positions and their services are thus requested from.
The Pirates also still need a right-handed bat if they can add one, even if it isn't a corner infielder.
Andrew McCutchen could come back in a smaller role as a right-handed bat and Marcell Ozuna is another veteran free agent option that fills that need.
The Pirates must move quickly, as they need additions to help them end their decade-long postseason absence.
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.