Offseason In Review: Pittsburgh Pirates

"The 2025 team scored 583 runs, lowest in the majors. The team had a combined .231/.305/.350 batting line, which translated to an 82 wRC+, indicating the squad was collectively 18% worse than league average. The only guy on the team with a wRC+ greater than 101 was Spencer Horwitz, who started the season on the injured list due to wrist surgery and did most of his damage in the second half."

"Paul Skenes has just four years of club control remaining and may not spend all of that in Pittsburgh. His salary will increase via arbitration in 2027 and he may not sign an extension, so he could be traded before reaching free agency, currently slated for the 2029-30 offseason. Konnor Griffin became the top prospect in baseball in 2025 and put himself in position to make a major league debut in 2026."

"They haven't made the playoffs since 2015 and haven't topped 82 wins in any season since then. They flirted with contention in recent seasons, though in the era of the expanded playoffs, that just means they floated near .500 for parts of the summer."

The Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled offensively for years, scoring only 583 runs in 2025, the lowest in Major League Baseball, with a collective batting line of .231/.305/.350 and an 82 wRC+. The team has developed strong pitching prospects but failed to complement them with adequate hitting. With Paul Skenes having limited club control remaining and top prospect Konnor Griffin positioned for a 2026 debut, the Pirates faced pressure to invest in offensive talent. The organization spent $38.75 million in 2026 and $53.75 million total during the offseason to address these imbalances. However, the Pirates have historically been inactive in free agency and have never committed $40 million to a single free agent, raising questions about whether their offseason moves will prove sufficient to return them to playoff contention.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors