Pirates Predicted to Stay Active Through End of Offseason
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have already had a productive offseason so far, one of the better ones they've had in recent memory.
The Pirates signed free agent slugger Ryan O'Hearn to a two-year, $29 million deal, marking their first multi-year free agent signing since 2016 and position player free agent multi-year signing since 2015.
Pittsburgh also landed two bats via trade in Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays, who hit 31 home runs in 2025, the most for any second baseman, plus top 100 prospect in outfielder Jhostynxon García from the Boston Red Sox, who has great power potential.
While these additions have improved one what was of the worst lineups in baseball in 2025, the Pirates still need some extra help, if they want to make the postseason.
Pirates Have More Moves on the Horizon
Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote about which teams excelled during the offseason and which teams need to make more moves.
Passan named the Pirates as one of his offseason winners, but more importantly, he noted that they will still make some more moves before the start of the 2026 campaign.
He did say that they won't go after the top remaining free agents, like a Cody Bellinger who they've had links to, they will still have one of their higher payrolls ever.
"The Pirates aren't done, either, and while they aren't flush enough to play in the Tucker-Bichette-Bellinger sandbox, they're approaching a $100 million payroll for the first time," Passan wrote.
What Moves the Pirates Need to Make Going Forward
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, who has had the most active offseason since taking over after the 2019 campaign, said after the O'Hearn signing that they are still looking to make some more additions.
Cherington noted particularly that they want to add a left side infielder, third baseman most likely, but possibly a shortstop, plus potentially another outfielder.
The pitching, which the Pirates have dealt from with trades, including right-handed starting pitchers Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo, needs more additions as well.
"We have several weeks between now and opening day. It’s our job to use every day to hunt opportunities to get better. I’m confident we will continue to add to the roster during that time.
"Would like to add back to pitching. We’ve traded a little bit of pitching, so would like to add back to that.
"We’d still like to add to the position-player group. You look at the left side of the infield. Obviously there are guys we like. Triolo emerged the second half of the year. He’s earned opportunity there. But if we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for.
"We’ll remain opportunistic in the outfield. See what comes our way. Hope to add to the pitching group in some form."
Who the Pirates Might Target
Third base is the position that the Pirates would likely look for an additional bat, as they traded away Gold Glove Award winner Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds at the deadline.
Eugenio Suárez is someone that would greatly improve the lineup and who the Pirates have interest in.
Suárez hit 49 home runs last season, the fifth most in baseball and 29 home runs more than the next Pirates player, Oneil Cruz, who hit a team-high 20 home runs.
Two other free agents the Pirates have reportedly shown interest in include Yoán Moncada and Willi Castro.
Moncada has struggled staying healthy the past two seasons and has had poor defense, but has hit well in previous years, while Castro is a versatile, utility player that can feature at multiple positions.
Suárez will likely commandeer a big-time contract, which might prove too much for a team like the Pirates, who might balk at a player turning 35 years old a long, expensive deal.
This is why Moncada and Castro might make more sense for the Pirates, especially depending on their pitcher additions.
Expect the Pirates to try and land a veteran, left-handed starting pitcher in free agency, as the top pitchers in the rotation like Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler are all right-handed.
Pittsburgh could also try and add a closer, if they don't want to go by committee with the bullpen they had.
They did add two left-handed pitchers, in free agent Gregory Soto on a one-year, $7.75 million deal, plus Mason Montgomery in the trade with the Rays, addressing an area of need in their bullpen.
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.