Playing GM: 4 Moves To Complete the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Offseason

Following another depressing season in Pittsburgh, the Pirates entered this offseason dead set on adding legitimate pieces to the roster and changing the narrative surrounding this team. So far, they’ve succeeded, as they’ve been one of the more active teams in the sport.

To this point, the Pirates have added a slew of impact players. Their first major move of the offseason was acquiring Jhostynxon Garcia from the Boston Red Sox in a five-player deal, which became the true tone setter for this winter. Unlike the Spencer Horwitz deal last offseason, their first move wasn’t their last.

The Pirates inked Gregory Soto during the Winter Meetings, a move that added some much-needed left-handed bullpen depth.

Shortly after this signing, the Pirates landed Brandon Lowe, one of the best power-hitting second basemen in recent memory, in a three-team deal with the Rays. They managed to add even more depth through this trade in the form of Jake Mangum and Mason Montgomery.

The Pirates stayed busy following this move, as they gave out their first multi-year free agent contract in nearly a decade, inking Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year deal. After trying all offseason to land an impact bat in free agency, they finally pulled it off right before the holidays.

Although this offseason has been overwhelmingly positive for the Pirates, they can still get better. Early indications were that they were planning to add $30-40 million to their payroll, and they still have some room to work with.

In fact, following the O’Hearn signing, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pirates beat writer Jason Mackey said, “They’re not done.”

Keeping this in mind, let’s put ourselves in general manager Ben Cherington’s shoes and see how we can further improve this team.

Editor’s Note: This piece was inspired by Aram Leighton and Jack McMullen’s breakdown on the Dec. 30th episode of the Just Baseball show. This article will explain their suggested moves and offer some further analysis.

Add Even More Power, Sign Eugenio Suárez

Heading into this offseason, the Pirates put an extreme focus on improving their offense and truly adding some impact bats into the mix. Expanding on that, if there’s one offensive tool they had to address the most, it was their lack of power.

Not only did their team’s wRC+ of 82 rank 29th in the league in 2025, but they finished dead last in homers. They weren’t particularly close to ranking any higher either, as their 117 homers were 31 behind the 29th-place St. Louis Cardinals.

Through the acquisition of Lowe and O’Hearn alone, the Pirates have drastically improved their power. For example, if you add Lowe and O’Hearn’s homers to the Pirates’ 2025 total, they would immediately tie the Chicago White Sox for the 23rd spot in the league.

The Pirates have also been in the market for a third base upgrade. They’ve become a finalist for Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto and have been tied to Yoán Moncada. A third option that makes a great deal of sense for the Pirates is Eugenio Suárez.

For starters, Suárez’s bat was very good last season. He slashed .228/.298/.526 with 49 homers while posting a 125 wRC+. He finished with these numbers despite struggling significantly after being dealt back to the Seattle Mariners.

While his second half was forgettable at best, Suárez is still a massive upgrade for this offense. As it currently stands, Jared Triolo is likely going to be the team’s third baseman on Opening Day, following a 117 wRC+ in the second half of the 2025 season.

While Triolo showcased a lot of promise during this span, he has yet to put things together for an extended period of time, which means he’s less reliable than it may seem. Also, Triolo possesses the ability to bounce around the diamond, which may make him a more valuable shortstop if Konnor Griffin isn’t quite ready at the beginning of next season.

Circling back to my earlier point about the Pirates’ homer totals, if you add Suárez’s 49 to the mix, the Pirates suddenly become a top-10 offense in home runs. While he may not reach 49 again next season, this shows how important Suárez’s power could be to the 2026 Pirates.

If the Pirates decide to ink Suárez, a two-year deal worth $42 million seems like a win-win for both sides. An AAV of $21 million is well within the Pirates’ comfort zone, especially in a shorter window. They could even include an option that adds another level of comfort as well.

For Suárez, this contract is likely going to be one of the strongest offers he has on the table. With Alex Bregman and Kazuma Okamoto being younger and potentially more impactful options, teams will be more hesitant to commit the same type of money to Suárez. This deal also gives him a chance to be an impactful piece of an exciting young core in Pittsburgh.

If the Pirates can close this deal, it would truly complete their offensive overhaul. Leaving this winter with three legitimate impact bats would be a huge win, and something they could be quite proud of.

Sign Jose Quintana as Depth

If there’s one strength the Pirates possess as a team, it’s their starting pitching. The top of their rotation is as deadly as any group in the sport, as Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Bubba Chandler make for a very dangerous trio.

It doesn’t end there, either. Jared Jones will likely return from his elbow surgery sometime in the first half, and the duo of Hunter Barco and Braxton Ashcraft rounds out a dangerous group. However, after dealing away Mike Burrows in the Brandon Lowe deal, the Pirates could use one more consistent veteran to get them by until Jones’ return.

If the Pirates choose to add a starter, the move that makes the most sense is a reunion with veteran left-hander Jose Quintana. During the 2025 season, Quintana was a reliable innings eater, and that’s exactly what the Pirates need to add.

In 131.2 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, Quintana posted a 3.96 ERA with 89 strikeouts and a WHIP under 1.30. Quintana providing this type of value at 36 years old was a huge reason for the Brewers’ success.

Due to his age and the fact that the underlying metrics aren’t as positive as they were at his peak, Quintana’s contract shouldn’t break the bank. A one-year deal worth $8 million seems well within the realm of possibility, and it would be a good deal for both sides.

During his short stint with the Pirates back in 2022, Quintana was a reliable option for the Bucs, recording a 3.50 ERA across just over 100 innings before being dealt to the Cardinals at the deadline. He’s on record saying that he enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh, claiming that it helped him revive his career.

Quintana even reportedly had a chance to return to the Pirates last winter, but declined their offer to sign with the contending Brewers. This is another reason to feel good about a potential reunion actually coming to fruition.

Due to the right-handed heavy nature of their current staff, having Quintana in the mix would be valuable for the Pirates. Aside from Barco, the Pirates don’t have any other left-handed starter they could turn to.

There is a world where the Pirates decide to just roll with their current group of starting pitchers, which honestly wouldn’t be a bad choice, either. Giving the young arms a chance to succeed and actually get some innings under their belts could be an important decision, especially considering that the team would likely trade Quintana once Jones is healthy.

However, adding Quintana to the mix would add some depth to this rotation in case their young arms struggle. He’d be a welcome addition, potentially holding down some important innings along the way.

Trade Nick Yorke to the Cubs

After signing Suárez and Quintana in this reality, the Pirates don’t have many other moves to make to complete their 2026 roster. However, one of the final things they need to address is clearing out some of their depth, and one area they could do this is at second base.

With Lowe now in the mix, this position has become even more crowded for the club. Several potential second basemen between the big leagues and Triple-A will get limited at-bats in 2026, and it’s best to clear out some of these players if given the opportunity.

One of these players is former first-round pick Nick Yorke. The Pirates acquired Yorke at the 2024 deadline for Quinn Priester, and he’s been given limited opportunities since. After he spent nearly all of 2025 in Triple-A, the Pirates must make a decision with Yorke.

Given the current state of their roster, they could use Yorke to bolster their bullpen depth a little further. Arguably, the best suitor in this scenario would be the Chicago Cubs, who possess an intriguing arm in right-hander Jack Neely.

After coming over to the Cubs in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade, Neely has struggled to find consistent success at any level. For example, Neely posted an ERA over 5.90 in both Triple-A and the major leagues during the 2025 season.

However, he does possess some intriguing underlying metrics. He struck out over 27% of batters he faced between both levels last season, and he registered a ton of whiffs in the big leagues. Not only this, but his impressive extension makes his high-90s fastball appear even quicker.

Neely is a player who could benefit from being in an organization that knows how to get the most out of its pitching, and the Pirates are one such team. If he makes some adjustments, he could become a pretty solid relief option for Pittsburgh.

On top of Neely, the Pirates will likely need another lottery ticket prospect to complete this deal. Shortstop Christian Hernandez could be the right option. Once a top international prospect, Hernandez has struggled to put things together in the minor leagues, but still possesses the raw tools needed to be successful.

If the Pirates can pull off this deal, it would be a perfect opportunity to showcase their player development skills and come out as huge winners because of them.

Give Konnor Griffin the Opportunity To Break Camp

The final thing the Pirates need to do heading into 2026 isn’t an external move, but instead something they should focus on internally. They should give Konnor Griffin every opportunity possible in 2026, including a chance to make the Opening Day roster with a strong spring training.

This past season couldn’t have gone better for Griffin. Between three levels, he slashed .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 65 stolen bases, and a 165 wRC+ as a 19-year-old, lighting the world on fire no matter where he played. Due to his performance in 2025, Griffin quickly shot up our prospect rankings, overtaking Kevin McGonigle for the number one spot on our top 100.

A part of Griffin’s game that’s often overlooked is his defense. Before the 2025 season, the main question surrounding Griffin was how he’d handle shortstop and whether or not he could stick at the position. After all, shortstop was widely considered to be his weakest position, as Griffin had flashed a 70-grade glove in center field.

He quickly put those questions to rest, winning the Pirates’ Bill Mazeroski Defender of the Year Award and also taking home a Minor League Gold Glove Award. His growth at shortstop mirrors his overall game, as he consistently silences concerns across the diamond.

Looking at the Pirates’ projected 2026 roster, the shortstop position is far from locked up. It’s likely going to be former first-round pick Nick Gonzales, who struggled in an injury-riddled 2025 season. Triolo is another potential candidate for lots of reps at shortstop.

This leaves the door wide open for Griffin, and the Pirates have expressed their willingness to allow him to make this jump. If he does, he’d become the first teenage hitter to make their major league debut since Juan Soto in 2018.

The Pirates must keep this door open and allow the 19-year-old to continue wowing the baseball world with everything he does.