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Jul 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) celebrates his two run home run in the dugout against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pirates Projected 2026 Arbitration Salaries

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates just started the second week of their offseason and will have important decisions, especially when it comes to arbitration.

Salary arbitration is for players who have no less than three years and no more than six years of service time at the MLB level. The only exception are "super two" players, who have less then three years, but more than two years of service time and meet certain criteria.

Players and their respective ballclub negotiate their salary for the following season and if the two parties can't come to an agreement by the deadline, generally around mid-January, they each present their salary to a panel, who listens to the arguments and makes a decision for the player or the ballclub.

Teams can also non-tender players up for arbitration, where they don't give a player a contract, making them a free agent.

The Pirates have nine players up for arbitration this offseason and Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors made projections for their respective salaries, along with the other 29 MLB teams.

Pirates Player Up for Arbitration (Service Time): Projected Salary

RHP Dennis Santana (5.126): $3.4MM
RHP Johan Oviedo (4.078): $2MM
C Joey Bart (4.020): $2.7MM
RHP Justin Lawrence (3.167): $1.2MM
RHP Yohan Ramírez (3.135): $1.2MM
RHP Colin Holderman (3.120): $1.7MM
CF Oneil Cruz (3.110): $3.6MM
RHP Dauri Moreta (3.056): $800K
OF Jack Suwinski (2.170): $1.7MM

Only three of the nine players for the Pirates up for arbitration include catcher Joey Bart, center fielder Oneil Cruz and outfielder Jack Suwinski.

The Pirates avoided arbitration for Bart last season, signing for $1.75 million, with this projection putting it up another million for him in 2026.

Bart slashed .249/.355/.340 for an OPS of .695 in 93 games with the Pirates, including 71 hits, 12 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 30 RBIs, and 40 walks to 93 strikeouts. He slashed .265/.337/.462 for an OPS of .799 in 80 games for the Pirates in 2024.

Cruz enters his first year of arbitration after playing around MLB minimum last season at $785,000, and Adams projects him to make $3.6 million, the highest of any player on this list.

He didn't have the season he wanted from the plate, slashing .200/.298/.378 for an OPS of .676, with 94 hits in 478 at-bats, 18 doubles, three triples and 64 walks to 178 strikeouts.

Cruz had the lowest batting average of any qualified batter, and his on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS all ranked in the bottom 25 in the MLB.

He still hit 20 home runs and made 38 steals, tied for the National League lead, giving him a 20-30 season, one of just four Pirates players to do that. He also competed at the Home Run Derby, setting the franchise record for home runs hit and becoming the first Pirates player to make it out of the first round.

Suwinski is the final position player up for arbitration and Adams projected him at $1.7 million, tied for the fifth most.

He struggled mightily for the Pirates this season, slashing .147/.281/.253 for an OPS of .534 in 59 games and making it back-to-back seasons he hit below .200, doing so at .182 in 2024.

Dennis Santana is in his last year of arbitration before he hits free agency and Adams has him at $3.4 million. Santana made $1.4 million last season, as the Pirates won their arbitration case against him, as Santana filed at $2.1 million.

Santana had a strong season for the Pirates in 2025, as he posted a 4-5 record in 70 appearances, a 2.18 ERA over 70.1 innings pitched, 13 holds, 16 saves in 19 opportunities, 60 strikeouts to 17 walks, a .179 opposing batting average and a 0.87 WHIP.

Starter Johan Oviedo is projected at two million and the second most of any pitcher. The Pirates won their arbitration case against him last season at $850,000, after Oviedo filed for $1.15 million.

Oviedo returned from Tommy John surgery, which kept him out of the 2024 season, and a lat injury, that pushed back his MLB return to August.

He made nine starts with the Pirates in 2025, with a 2-1 record, a 3.57 ERA over 40.1 innings pitched, 42 strikeouts to 23 walks, a .182 opposing batting average and a 1.21 WHIP.

Colin Holderman is slated for $1.7 million in 2026, after he made $1.5 million in 2025, with the Pirates and him avoiding arbitration.

Holderman dealt with injuries, including a right knee sprain that kept him out for three weeks in April, plus right thumb inflammation, that kept him out of the MLB for almost three months.

He had a poor season with the Pirates, with a 0-2 record over 24 outings, a 7.01 ERA over 25.2 innings pitched, 18 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .327 opposing batting average and a 1.95 WHIP.

Both Justin Lawrence and Yohan Ramírez are projected to make $1.2 million in 2026. Lawrence avoided arbitration with the Colorado Rockies for $975,000 and the Pirates claimed him off waivers on March 3. This marks the first year of arbitration for Ramírez.

Lawrence missed almost five months between his two stints with the Pirates in 2025 due to right elbow inflammation. He was exceptional for the Pirates when healthy, with a 1-0 record in 17 outings, a 0.51 ERA over 17.2 innings pitched, 23 strikeouts to eight walks, a .153 opposing batting average and a 0.96 WHIP.

Ramírez signed a minor league contract with the Pirates on Oct. 24 and made it on the roster on July 11, spending the rest of the season at the MLB level, serving as a middle reliever.

He posted a 3-3 record over 24 outings, a 5.40 ERA over 33.1 innings pitched, 45 strikeouts to 16 walks, a .246 opposing batting average and a 1.47 WHIP.

Moreta missed all of 2024, after suffering a ligament injury in his right elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery.

He made it back to the Pirates on Aug. 2 and had two stints at the MLB level last season. He had a 1-1 record in 18 appearances, a 3.24 ERA over 16.2 innings pitched, 19 strikeouts to seven walks, a .267 opposing batting average and a 1.38 WHIP.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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