Who Replaces the Pirates Departing Free Agents?
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates enter this offseason with two departing free agents and big decisions to make on them.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe and left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto are the Pirates' two free agents this winter, and both will be tough decisions for the franchise.
Both players only played one season with the Pirates, but each had solid campaigns and gave the Pirates reason to re-sign them.
The Pirates may not end up signing either of them, and if they don't, they'll need to find replacements for 2027.
How Pirates Will Replace Brandon Lowe
Replacing Lowe is almost impossible for the Pirates, as he is the best-hitting second baseman in baseball.
He led MLB second basemen with 35 home runs, a .493 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS, and was the first Pirates player to hit that many home runs since Josh Bell hit 37 in 2019.
Lowe excelled at PNC Park, hitting 20 home runs, and took advantage of the right field wall, high but further in than left field, serving as the Pirates' best hitter and power-hitter in 2026.
The Pirates may not re-sign Lowe, as he'll field some strong contract offers as one of the best second baseman free agents.
Pittsburgh's internal options at second base are not quite on Lowe's level, power or defensively.
Nick Gonzales was a strong hitter for the Pirates and would be the first to replace Lowe, but his defense leaves much to be desired, and his time at second base in 2025 was poor, -11 defensive runs saved.
The Pirates also have utility man Jared Triolo, who has been fantastic defensively at second base, +10 DRS and +4 outs above average (OAA), but hasn't excelled at the plate, batting .237/.317/.335 for an OPS of .652 in his career.
Pittsburgh could look towards the free agent market, which includes the likes of Jazz Chisholm, Gleyber Torres, Luis Arraez and others.
Chisholm would be the next best second baseman, but he's unlikely to go for a lower contract than Lowe, as he is younger, and the New York Yankees will look to retain him.
Torres and Arraez have been All-Stars in the past, but don't have the power Lowe does; however, Arraez is a three-time batting champion.
Trade targets are less obvious for second base, but the Miami Marlins are always moving players, so Xavier Edwards or utility man Javier Sanoja could be options.
Colorado Rockies utility man Willi Castro is another trade option for the Pirates, and someone they've shown interest in before, who could fill in at second base.
How Pirates Will Replace Gregory Soto
Soto had a solid season for the Pirates last year and will be in high demand when he goes onto the free agent market for the second time.
He had some struggles and was inconsistent at times, but was far more commonly a strong southpaw option out of the Pirates' bullpen, which lacked it before his signing.
Pittsburgh's internal left-handed relief pitchers include Brandon Eisert and Evan Sisk, while rookie Hunter Barco is a long relief option.
Eisert and Sisk have a similar profile: low velocity, but great extension that makes it more difficult for opposing hitters to guess what they're throwing.
There are a plethora of free-agent left-handed pitchers that the Pirates could turn to at varying price points.
Some of these include A.J. Minter, José Alvarado, JoJo Romero, Sean Newcomb and others.
The Pirates may opt not to spend the money they did on Soto, $7.75 million in 2026, on another high-end relief pitcher, but there are always options to look at.
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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.