"They've spoken in the past about wanting to lure more free agents and make impact additions in the lineup, but both comments from Pittsburgh brass and the reporting surrounding their early offseason endeavors struck a different tenor. The Pirates' reported willingness to offer Josh Naylor in the vicinity of $80MM was a genuine surprise, given the lack of spending to which we've become accustomed from owner Bob Nutting."
"Ultimately, finishing second-, third- or fourth-place on a pair of notable free agents has the same end result as sitting out the bidding entirely, but it was nevertheless notable that the Bucs came out swinging. It appeared to set the stage for a more aggressive offseason than usual, and to an extent, we've seen that. Ryan O'Hearn's two-year, $29MM contract isn't a major price to pay for most clubs, but it was the first multiyear free-agent deal given out by Pittsburgh since 2016."
The Pirates pursued a notably more aggressive 2025-26 offseason, making large offers to Josh Naylor and Kyle Schwarber and surprising observers with willingness to spend. They signed Ryan O'Hearn to a two-year, $29MM contract, marking the club's first multiyear free-agent deal since 2016, and acquired Brandon Lowe in a higher-profile trade. The Johan Oviedo trade to Boston returned outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia, a touted prospect who could reach the majors in early 2026. Lowe and O'Hearn provide above-average bats alongside Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds. Horwitz finished with a .272/.353/.434 line, and over his final 298 plate appearances slashed .290/.372/.481.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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