After the Pittsburgh Pirates missed out on Eugenio Suárez, their pivot to Marcell Ozuna raises as many questions as it answers. Ozuna will give the Pirates the right-handed bat they need, but at what cost to the rest of the lineup?

Marcella Ozuna and the Pirates

From the point of view of Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, I get it. Despite rumors connecting the Pirates to Isaac Paredes and Mark Vientos, so far he’s struck out in attempts to get a good right-handed hitter to play third base. He apparently decided that he had to get somebody. Finally, he went after the best right-handed hitter he could get, position be damned. He got a good one. Manager Don Kelly can sort it all out when he makes up the daily lineup cards.

dwight “come along afterthought” the office clip pic.twitter.com/Op5ZuktJXP

— the office clips (@theofficereacs) October 13, 2021

Ozuna last played the outfield in 2023, and even then, it was only for two games. Clearly, he’ll be limited to a designated hitter role. He had a “down” year in 2025, when he hit .232/.355/.400, 21 HR, and 68 RBI. But he was injured for much of 2025, too. Before that, he had two consecutive seasons with at least 100 RBI and an OPS in the .900s. It’s a solid bat. So, what’s the issue with Ozuna as the full-time designated hitter?

The New Pirates Outfield

One problem is that Ozuna’s presence means more playing time in the outfield for Ryan O’Hearn, who was signed as a free agent last month, probably in left field. O’Hearn was expected to see a lot of action at designated hitter and was even told so. O’Hearn is not a strong defensive outfielder. Over his career, he’s been charged with -8 Fielding Runs Above Average (FRAA) and -10 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). PNC Park’s expansive left field isn’t the place for a weak defensive outfielder. O’Hearn’s outfield defense wouldn’t be an issue if the outfield were strong otherwise. It’s not.

O’Hearn could switch over to right field, where Bryan Reynolds played last year, with Reynolds moving back to left field. Reynold got good defensive marks in right field last season (14 FRAA and one DRS), but the last time he was a regular in left field, he was charged with -11 FRAA and -5 DRS in 2024. O’Hearn also plays first base, but that’s the domain of Spencer Horwitz, whose .787 OPS led the Pirates last year.

Considering Oneil Cruz is still a work in progress in center field, it may add up to one of the weakest defensive outfields in the majors. (The jury is still out on Cruz, who certainly has the talent to be a good outfielder. Cruz spent the offseason working with four-time Gold Glove Award winner Kevin Kiermaier. All reports indicate that he’s making strides defensively. That would be a good thing for the Pirates’ defense and the safety of the other outfielders. One Pirates fan recently told me, “He’s going to get somebody killed out there!”)

The Fallout on Other Hitters

Furthermore, the Pirates already had several designated hitter candidates, and Ozuna’s presence will push another good hitter to the bench. The ideal move would have been for Cherington to reel in a third baseman, pushing Jared Triolo to the bench.

Instead, among the domino effects are the relegation of new acquisition Jake Mangum to a fourth outfielder role, while another new addition, the exciting power-hitting prospect Jhostynxon García, is now a long shot to make the team out of spring training, barring an injury. Mangum is a good defensive outfielder (3 FRAA and 3 DRS in 2025) and is the hitter for average the Pirates desperately need. Too many one-run games were lost last year for want of a single. Mangum could have helped there in addition to improving the outfield.

The addition of Ozuna also signals that Andrew McCutchen’s time with the Pirates has likely come to an unceremonious end. “Cutch” was one of the least productive designated hitters in the majors last year. Replacing him makes sense, but there will be a PR fallout with how shabbily the Pirates handled things with the franchise icon. This, after many PR fiascos last season, for example, covering up a Roberto Clemente tribute with an advertising sign and the discovery of a pile of “Bucco Bricks” in a garbage dump.

McCutchen reportedly met with owner Bob Nutting recently, but it’s not known what came of it. Given a chance to address the issue of McCutchen’s status at last month’s PiratesFest, Cherington gave a noncommittal answer about Cutch’s importance to the franchise. Next time the question comes up, he’ll have to come up with some fast answers.

Speculating on the Pirates’ Lineup

Here’s how I see the Pirates’ 2026 lineup as things stand now. I’m assuming baseball’s No. 1 prospect, Konnor Griffin, will be given a shot at shortstop, and that the Pirates will prefer Henry Davis and his superior defense at catcher over Joey Bart. A lot of assumptions, and Cherington may not be done dealing yet, but what the heck, this stuff is fun.

Against right-handed pitching: Griffin, SS, Horwitz, 1B, Reynolds, RF, O’Hearn, LF, Brandon Lowe, 2B, Ozuna, DH, Cruz, CF, Davis, C, Triolo, 3B.

Against left-handed pitching: Griffin, SS, Mangum, LF, Reynolds, RF, Ozuna, DH, O’Hearn, 1B, Lowe, 2B, Cruz, CF, Davis, C, Triolo, 3B.

The Last Word

The Ozuna signing wasn’t the first time Cherington was dealing during the Super Bowl. While the 2024 Super Bowl was being played, he signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to a one-year deal. Pirates fans will hope that Ozuna works out as well as another free agent the Pirates signed during Super Bowl weekend. That was Lee Lacy in 1979. The Pirates won the World Series that year. Lacy saw considerable action in left field whenever first baseman Willie Stargell was rested and Bill Robinson moved from left field to take his spot. Lacy saw more action as a Pirate from 1980 to 1984, hitting 311/.360/.440 over that span.

One also recalls when the Pirates acquired Corey Dickerson from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Dickerson came with a reputation as a poor fielder, but did just fine manning left field, winning a Gold Glove Award.

Maybe Ozuna can do for the Pirates what Lacy did for them. Maybe O’Hearn can take to the outfield as Dickerson did. If so, the Pirates will have hit the jackpot with Ozuna. Otherwise, they have to hope that Ozuna’s bat makes up for the damage done to their left-handed-hitting outfield.

Mandatory Photo Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images