Pirates Pursuing Free Agent Third Baseman
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need a third baseman next season and are looking at free agency for that addition.
After Ke'Bryan Hayes held down the position for the vast majority of the decade, the Pirates traded him to the Cincinnati Reds ahead of the deadline, moving on from a former franchise cornerstone.
Francys Romero reported on Twitter that the Pirates have shown early interest in third baseman Yoán Moncada, who will fill that spot left by Hayes.
Other teams showing interest include the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox, where has played prior, and the Toronto Blue Jays.
What the Pirates Would Get in Moncada
Moncada enters his 10th season in the major leagues next season and has had some solid moments and some struggles as well.
His tenure with the White Sox saw his best success, with a 14.5 WAR over 739 games in eight seasons from 2017-24.
Batting % | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.254 | .332 | .425 | .757 |
Runs | Hits | Doubles | Home Runs | RBI | BB/K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
707 | 707 | 156 | 93 | 338 | 305/906 |
He has had success at the highest level of baseball, with his 2019 season a career-best. He slashed .315/.367/.548 for an OPS of .915, with 161 hits, 34 doubles, 25 home runs and 79 RBI.
Moncada has had an issue in recent seasons staying healthy, with injuries restricting his time on the field and keeping him from playing anywhere near where he should do.
He dealt with minor injuries early on, a left hamstring tightness in 2018 and a strained right hamstring in 2019, but his past four seasons have seen him play just 292 of a possible 648 games during that time, only 45.1% of those contests.
Moncada dealt with a right oblique strain and hamstring issues in 2022, lower back problems in 2023, a left aductor strain in 2024 and then a right thumb sprain and right knee inflammation in 2025.
Season | Games Played |
|---|---|
2018 | 149 |
2019 | 132 |
2020 | 52 (out of 60) (COVID-19) |
2021 | 144 |
2022 | 104 |
2023 | 92 |
2024 | 12 |
2025 (Angels) | 84 |
Fielding is also a struggle for Moncada, posting negative fielding statistics the past two seasons he was relatively healthy.
He had -7 defensive runs saved last season, and both his -10 runs prevented and -13 Outs Above Average (OAA), ranked the worst amongst MLB third baseman.
Moncada a switch hitter, would also primarily hit right-handed pitching, which he hit .240 last season, as he struggled against left-handed pitching, hitting .174 with four hits in 23 at-bats.
Should the Pirates Sign Moncada?
The Pirates do need a third baseman and they've gone after left-handed bats this offseason, both of which Moncada fits.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe came in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and Ryan O'Hearn signed a two-year, $29 milllion free agent deal, both of whom hit left-handed and have power.
Moncada would fit that mold the Pirates are looking for, but unlike Lowe and O'Hearn, he hasn't produced anywhere near what they've done in the last few seasons.
His injuries have hurt his production greatly and his fielding has also suffered as a result, going from an average to a poor defender the past two seasons.
The Pirates have better options at third base, especially if they want a better bat over a better defender.
Pittsburgh has held virtual meetings with Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto and Eugenio Suárez is a great fit, coming off a 2025 campaign where he hit 49 home runs.
Moncada would cost significantly less than Okamoto and Suárez, with Spotrac projecting him at one-year, $4.5 million, much more in the Pirates budget.
The Pirates have to decide whether they want to go over budget and pay for someone like Okamoto and Suárez, or would they rather get a cheaper option at third base and spread more money around for the pitching staff, adding a lefty starter and a closer.
This deal would work well for the Pirates if Moncada gets healthy again and can hit .260 or above with about 15 home runs, especially if he comes on the cheaper side.
Jared Triolo is the internal option for the Pirates, who is great defensively and was a finalist for the National League Gold Glove Award as a utility player. He also hit much better after coming back from the minors on Aug. 1, slashing .276/.353/.422 for an OPS of .775 in his final 52 games.
Triolo is likely a better option than Moncada, but depending on how the Pirates move going forward with their pitching will determine how they address third base for 2026.
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.