Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn Reveals First Impression of Don Kelly
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have made important steps towards building a better lineup, including signing free agent O'Hearn.
O'Hearn joins the Pirates on a two-year, $29 million deal, officially signed on Jan. 8, making him their marquee signing this offseason.
He is the first free agent to sign a multi-year deal with the Pirates since right-handed starting pitcher Iván Nova for three years, $27 million on Dec. 27, 2016. He is also the first free agent position player to sign a multi-year deal with the Pirates since outfielder John Jaso for two years, $8 million.
The 32-year old is now one of the most important bats for the Pirates in 2026 and one that they hope will bring them winning baseball.
Ryan O'Hearn Talks About Don Kelly
O'Hearn got himself a new manager by signing with the Pirates in Don Kelly, who is the leader of this team for the future.
Kelly became manager of the Pirates last season on May 8, after a 12-26 start saw them dismiss Derek Shelton after more than five seasons in charge.
He finished the season with a 59-65 record and a 37-25 record at PNC Park, good for the ninth best home winning percentage in baseball.
Kelly signed an extension with the Pirates following the season and is now in his first winter as manager.
O'Hearn spoke with Kelly on the phone before he signed and after a 45-minute conversation, he immediately told his agent to sign the deal. He said he had only heard positive things about Kelly and that made him ecstatic to join on.
“He’s awesome," O'Hearn said. "I feel like we hit it off from the jump. That’s something that’s extremely important, having a great relationship with the manager. I had heard of Don Kelly as a player for the Pirates and the Tigers. Everybody I’ve spoken to has said nothing but awesome things about him. Players, just everybody who knows him that I asked – I tried to ask around and people said great things about him. When we had the phone conversation, I said the same thing. Yes, I’m really excited to play for him.”
While some may see Kelly as a recruiter for free agents this offseason, Kelly noted that O'Hearn didn't need much convincing to come on board.
Kelly also potentially sees a great season for O'Hearn and that he is exactly what the Pirates need heading into 2026.
"Well, I will say, talking to Ryan, I didn't have to persuade too much," Kelly said. "It's certainly not on me. It was really cool to be able to have that conversation and talk to him through that. He's all about the right things, and he had done his research. He knows where we're at and what we were looking to add, and felt like he could be a big part of getting better offensively. And really excited to have him.
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.