Pirates Players Most Likely to Be Gone Before Opening Day 2027
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have finished their 2026 season and face an important offseason with big decisions to make.
The Pirates finished 2026 with an 82-80 record, their first winning season since 2018, ending seven seasons of losing, but didn't make the postseason, marking their 11th season missing out.
Pittsburgh had great contributors throughout 2026, most of whom will return next season and push to earn a playoff spot
The Pirates won't bring everyone back, and a few players most likely won't be on the team for Opening Day 2027.
Pirates Players That Most Likely Won't Be on Opening Day 2027 Roster
No. 1 LHP Gregory Soto
The Pirates signed left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million contract this past offseason, making him a free agent again.
Soto posted the second-highest WAR (1.2) in his career with the Pirates in 2026, with a 6-5 record in 69 appearances, 16 saves in 22 opportunities, a 3.63 ERA over 67.0 innings pitched, 79 strikeouts to 29 walks, a .199 BAA and a 1.16 WHIP.
It was one of the best seasons of his career, with the most innings pitched and strikeouts, the second-lowest WHIP and the third-lowest BAA, ERA, H/9 (6.6) and BB/9 (3.9).
Soto's season was up-and-down, with struggles in June and September, but excellent through the end of May and in both July and August.
He was a strong left-handed bullpen option, despite some shaky outings, but the Pirates may look elsewhere this offseason.
Soto is also a free agent and will look for the best deal, so his return isn't entirely likely, but if Pirates pitching coach Bill Murphy wants him back, there's a chance both parties work something out.
No. 2 Brandon Lowe
The Pirates' other free agent and most important one is second baseman Brandon Lowe, who was their best player in 2026.
Lowe led the Pirates with 35 home runs, 96 RBI, a .493 slugging percentage and a .824 OPS, second with 29 doubles and third with 152 hits.
He was also the best-power hitting second baseman, leading in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS, which makes him a premium on the free-agent market.
The Pirates will have to compete amongst many other MLB teams, who will want the left-handed power-hitting second baseman in their lineup.
Lowe has remained open to returning to Pittsburgh, his teammates have adamantly called for him to re-sign and the front office would love him on the team in 2027.
The Pirates should bring Lowe back for a multitude of reasons, on and off the field, but their lack of success signing big-time free agents makes this a tough proposition for them.
No. 3 Carmen Mlodzinski
Pittsburgh will have most of its core back for the 2027 season, with Lowe and Soto as its sole free agents, but there could be some changes to its pitching staff.
Carmen Mlodzinski is in an odd situation with the Pirates, who are trying to figure out where he fits best for the future.
Mlodzinski was in the starting rotation the first two months of 2026, until Jared Jones returned from internal brace surgery, and the Pirates put him back in the bullpen.
His frustration with the demotion led the Pirates to place him on the Restricted List in late May, before Mlodzinski eventually accepted his bullpen role.
The Pirates should have a full, five-man rotation with Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes and Jones for 2027, making Mlodzinski the odd-man out.
Mlodzinski is someone the Pirates love out of the bullpen, where he's historically thrived, but without a defined role, they could trade him to add to other areas of their team.
It's also true that Mlodzinski could request a trade, but he may stick around in Pittsburgh to fight for a starting pitcher role.
The Pirates probably will have Mlodzinski on their 2027 Opening Day roster, but it wouldn't come as too surprising if they moved him either.
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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.