ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently wrote that the Pittsburgh Pirates are, apparently, in the mix for some big names this offseason, and fans are hesitant to believe they have a shot. The Pirates’ leadership have been known to skimp on player salaries, and they rarely court the best of the best. Fans on social media had a field day with the news, with responses matching a familiar range of emotions.
Here are the fans’ responses to the possibility of the Pirates being “in on” free agent outfielder Kyle Schwarber and free agent first baseman Josh Naylor, as the five stages of grief.
Denial
“Good for baseball tbh. We need more small market teams investing,” One fan wrote, hopefully.
“Holy s— the Pirates are in on Kyle Schwarber???” Another wrote.
“I hope they get him,” Another wrote.
“Officially getting my hopes up for the Pirates’ offseason,” Another said, with a meme of Michael Scott from the office captioned, “I am ready to get hurt again”.
Anger
Some fans who have been around the block shared anger at the news, knowing that the Pirates won’t spend the money necessary to land big stars.
“Don’t believe it. Pirates gonna act like they are in on a bunch of big names so they can tell [starting pitcher Paul] Skenes their trying,” Another wrote.
“Probably all smoke
Let’s see what the roster looks like in April”
“Bulls—. I’m a fan and lived near the city my entire life. That last part is all bulls— to get the fans back,” Another wrote.
“Nothing says well-run org like your first FA signing of ANY impact in a decade to be locking your DH spot before addressing the 7 holes on the field,” Another said, believing that the Pirates might land Schwarber, but that even if they do, it’s all kinds of wrong.
Bargaining
Oct 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) celebrates with first baseman Josh Naylor (12) after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game seven of the ALCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
“Yeah we’re absolutely interested. How does 3 yrs $30 million sound???” One fan wrote. They were met with a response from the original poster, “They offered 80 to Naylor!”
“That ‘Paul Skenes wants to be a Yankee’ report must’ve scared the Pirates front office😭,” Another wrote.
“In all seriousness though Pittsburgh actually being somewhat okay this year would be great for that city. They’ve been waiting for a competitive team for a long time
The report in question was debunked by Skenes himself, and was based on a teammate reportedly saying he wants to pitch for the Yankees. Skenes has said that he wants to win with the Pirates.
Depression
Faithful long-time fans of the team were willing to, however sadly, educate the public on the state of affairs.
“That’s exactly what they want people to see. They have no intention to sign these guys. They just have to offer a similar ball park knowing he wouldn’t go there if he had any kind of market but then can say to people the Tried but can’t compete,” One fan wrote, knowingly.
“They’re just doing performance art so they can tell Paul they’re “really trying” to assemble a team,” Another wrote.
Acceptance
Well, okay. Maybe not all five stages of grief.
Passan’s preview made it clear that the Pirates are an unlikely suitor for the players, describing Pittsburgh as “not so obvious” for Schwarber. The Pirates have famously failed to invest in their team year in and year out for some time, and their results every season reflect that refusal. The anger toward the team’s current owner, Bob Nutting, is loud as ever as a result, even long after their 2025 season ended in yet another dismal defeat.