{"id":553295,"date":"2026-02-04T00:52:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T00:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/553295\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T00:52:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T00:52:17","slug":"ken-rosenthal-explains-why-pirates-keep-falling-short-in-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/553295\/","title":{"rendered":"Ken Rosenthal Explains Why Pirates Keep Falling Short In Free Agency"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a terrific offseason<\/a>, but one area where they\u2019re still falling short is free agency. The Pirates failed to land several of their top free agent targets this winter, including Kyle Schwarber and Eugenio Suarez.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s offers were competitive<\/a>, but that\u2019s usually not enough to land a top free agent, especially when there\u2019s interest from other teams. <\/p>\n

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal explained why<\/a> on Tuesday\u2019s episode of \u201cFoul Territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the Pirates are valuing players properly, they can’t expect to get deals done with higher-level free agents, says @Ken_Rosenthal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“If you’re going to play in this arena, then don’t kind of do it halfway.” pic.twitter.com\/XcHMkz9evB<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to me that they\u2019re valuing players properly. The problem is, when you\u2019re the Pittsburgh Pirates, valuing players is not necessarily going to get a deal done,\u201d Rosenthal said. \u201cIf you\u2019re the Pirates\u2026you\u2019re gonna have to overpay in certain cases\u2026They need to overpay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Rosenthal suggested that if the Pirates had offered Suarez a few more million dollars than the Cincinnati Reds, perhaps he\u2019d be in Pittsburgh right now instead of Cincinnati.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately for the Pirates, they are not a desirable destination for many free agents. Part of that is the city\u2019s location, part of it is the weather, and part of it is the fact that Pittsburgh hasn\u2019t made the playoffs since 2015.<\/p>\n

In other words, it\u2019s probably not going to be enough for the Pirates to match other offers, as they did with Suarez. They need to outbid teams and pay a bit of a premium to get the free agents they desire.<\/p>\n

Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh learned that the hard way this offseason, but hopefully Ben Cherington puts that lesson to good use next winter.<\/p>\n

More Pirates: Pirates Miss Out On Top Free-Agent Slugger To Division Rival<\/a><\/p>\n

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