The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to break their drought of over a decade of not playing in the postseason in 2026.
They certainly helped their chances with some free agency and trades this offseason. That’s why MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand listed the Pirates as one of the winners of the offseason.
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“The Pirates haven’t played into October since 2015. Early in the offseason, word was that Pittsburgh was ready to spend some money this winter, though nobody expected them to dive into the top end of the free-agent market,” Feinsand wrote.
“Still, the Pirates hadn’t signed a free agent to a multi-year deal since Ivan Nova in December 2016, and no free-agent hitter had received a multi-year contract since John Jaso a year before that. That changed this winter when the Pirates signed All-Star Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year, $29 million deal, while the Pirates also acquired two-time All-Star Brandon Lowe. The additions of O’Hearn and Lowe should help a lineup that ranked last in the NL in runs scored in 2025, while Mason Montgomery (acquired in the Lowe trade) and Gregory Soto (one year, $7.75 million free-agent deal) should help fortify the bullpen.”
The other teams listed as winners included the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White Sox.
While the Pirates moves don’t guarantee much, it gives them the opportunity to be better than they were a year ago. That is enough to bring some optimism and life into the clubhouse, which could be exactly what the Pirates need in order to break this long curse of mediocre baseball.
BD community, do you feel as if the Pirates had a winning offseason? Let your voice be heard by chiming off in the comments section below.