Pirates Predicted to Make Big Moves to Complete Offseason
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have moves still available to them this offseason and ways they can better this roster heading into next season.
The Pirates recently added power-hitting second base Brandon Lowe, plus outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade, that also involved them sending right-handed starting pitcher Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros on Dec. 19.
Pittsburgh also added top 100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon García from the Boston Red Sox on Dec. 4, sending right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo the other way.
The Pirates just signed Ryan O'Hearn on a two-year, $29 million contract, making him their first free agent position player signing of the offseason. While these additions have improved the Pirates, there are still some moves they should make going forward.
Insider Examines Pirates' Next Offseason Moves
Robert Murray of FanSided spoke on Foul Territory on Dec. 22 about what the Pirates will do next to complete their offseason. He saw the Lowe move as a strong one and that free agency is what is next for them going forward. Murray named three players in Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto, designated hitter Marcell Ozuna and O'Hearn before he signed.
"...Now you can look at it from a couple different ways here through free agency. You spend on Okamoto, you go after Ryan O'Hearn, or do you spend and try and get a guy like Marcell Ozuna. To me, all three of those guys are on the table in Pittsburgh."
Murray liked all of those players for the Pirates, including a clubhouse leader O'Hearn and a veteran power-hitter like Ozuna. He also thought that it would be great to pair those players with a great pitching staff, that would lead the Pirates back to the playoffs.
"...Either one of those guys makes a whole lot of sense," Murray said. "I don't know the likelihood that they add either one of those three, but I definitely think it's very possible to do so and if you can end up adding to that offense and combine that with the pitching staff, which is among the best in baseball...if you get the Pirates back to the postseason, come on baby, that's good for ball! I would love it."
How Those Two Players Help the Pirates in 2026
The Pirates need a slugger and a third baseman after trading Ke'Bryan Hayes and Okamoto would give them both of those things.
Okamoto has hit at least 30 home runs in a season six times and more than 25 home runs seven times in his career, with more than 80 RBIs in eight seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), the professional baseball league in Japan.
He slashed .327/.416/.598 for an OPS of 1.014 in 69 games this past season in Japan, which while not completely comparable to the MLB, is much better than the best Pirates hitter, with right fielder Bryan Reynolds posting a slash line of .245/.318/.402 for an OPS of .720 in 154 games.
He slashed .277/.361/.521 for an OPS of .882 in 1,074 games in 11 seasons with Yomiuri, addng 1,089 hits, 212 doubles, three triples, 248 home runs, 717 RBIs and 481 walks to 796 strikeouts.
Okamoto is a six-time NPB All-Star, doing so in back-to-back seasons, 2018 and 2019, and then four straight seasons from 2021-24. He led the Central League in home runs three times, with 31 home runs in 2020, 39 home runs in 2021, and a career-high 41 home runs in 2023. He also led the Central League in RBIs in back-to-back seasons with 97 RBIs in 2020 and a career-high 113 RBIs in 2021.
Okamoto also led Yomuiri to seven playoff berths and three Central League pennants, earning Central League Climax Series honors for his play in 2019.
He has international experience with Team Japan and excelled in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, slashing .333/.556/.722 for an OPS of 1.278, with six hits in 18 at-bats, five runs scored, a double, two home runs and seven RBIs.
Ozuna is a bit different than Okamoto, in that he has had a successful 12-year career at the MLB-level.
This includes being a three-time All-Star (2016-17, 2024), two-time Silver Slugger Award Winner (2017, 2020) and a Gold Glove Award winner in 2017.
He has hit more than 20 home runs in every season, except one, that he's played at least 100 games in a season.
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 is coming off a 2025 campaign, where he slashed .232/.355/.400 for an OPS of .755 in 145 games, with 113 hits, 19 doubles, 21 home runs, 68 RBIs and 94 walks to 144 strikeouts.
While those numbers aren't the best of his career, nor do they show the signs of a top player in baseball, he would've ranked first in home runs and walks, second in RBIs, third in hits, fifth in doubles, plus first in OPS and on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage and third in batting average on the Pirates last season.
The Pirates could get Ozuna for cheaper, depending on the market, and still get a solid amount of home runs out of him, especially if they made him their designated hitter.
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.