The Pittsburgh Pirates have already done more this offseason than fans are used to, and according to an ESPN insider, they aren’t finished yet.

While Pittsburgh isn’t suddenly a contender with the moves it has made, it is a lot closer than it was a few months ago, and that’s important.

Advertisement

Jesse Rogers of ESPN spoke about where things stand for the Pirates and why more additions should still be expected before spring training arrives, despite already adding offensive help.

“Pittsburgh set out to improve its offense, and the Pirates have done that via trades and the free agent signing of O’Hearn. It doesn’t mean they’ll be a juggernaut at the plate, but they’ll be better than last season. That’s a start,” Rogers wrote. “Lowe and O’Hearn also bring experience playing for playoff-caliber teams, a much-needed benefit for the Pirates.

“What they still need to do: The Pirates aren’t done looking for offense, which could come in the form of an outfield bat or an addition to the left side of the infield. Or both. And after trading from their pitching depth, moving Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows in separate deals, they would like to refill that part of their roster, too. It’s already been a more active offseason for the Pirates than they’ve had in recent memory as they try to build around ace Paul Skenes. Smaller moves might be in order between now and spring training, but Pittsburgh shouldn’t be done adding.”

Adding Ryan O’Hearn and Brandon Lowe immediately changed the look of this lineup, and honestly, I think they can make some noise.

Advertisement

Are either of them stars? No, but they’re both proven bats who have done a lot of good this winter.

Still, the more important part of this is the fact that the Pirates are still expected to do more throughout the remainder of the winter.

Entering the winter, there was the hope that the Pirates would get better. With what they’ve done and possibly more on the way, I’m excited for what’s to come. Games aren’t won by what they do in the winter, but this is as promising a sign as we’ve seen in a long time.