Pirates Want To Limit Ryan O’Hearn’s Outfield Reps

The Pirates have Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds as everyday options in center and left field, respectively. Right field is more of a question mark, as general manager Ben Cherington outlined this week at the GM Meetings.

Cherington told reporters, including Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that the club is looking to construct a team that doesn’t require Ryan O’Hearn to spend much time on the grass. The plan would be to have him rotate at first base and DH with Spencer Horwitz. Cherington added that ideally, O’Hearn makes just the occasional start or late-game appearance in right field.

Pittsburgh signed O’Hearn to a two-year, $29MM deal last winter. He was expected to split his time between right field and first base, with fellow free agent acquisition Marcell Ozuna handling the majority of the DH work. That’s largely how it played out, with O’Hearn making 42 starts in right field and 36 at first base. Ozuna’s ill-fated tenure with the team ended in August. O’Hearn ended up making 25 starts at DH.

[Related: Ryan O’Hearn’s Adjustments In Pittsburgh]

Capping O’Hearn’s opportunities in the outfield makes sense on multiple fronts. He posted -5 Defensive Runs Saved at the position in 2026. For his career, he’s at -16 DRS. O’Hearn has typically graded out poorly at first base as well, though he’s had some decent years over there. Perhaps more notably, O’Hearn had two separate stints on the IL with quad strains last year. The second instance cost him nearly six weeks in the second half and hurt Pittsburgh’s offense during the stretch run.

With O’Hearn sticking to first base and DH, more opportunities would seem to be available for Esmerlyn Valdez. The Magician hit 17 homers in just 72 games as a rookie. A hamstring injury cut his season short but isn’t expected to impact his 2027 campaign.

Cherington didn’t exactly hand Valdez the job, though. The exec said Valdez has “some earning to do” before taking over as the everyday guy in right. The rookie’s power production came with a massive 37.6% strikeout rate. Valdez also cooled off significantly after a red-hot first month. He posted a .662 OPS in August. He was hitting .125 in September before going down with the hamstring strain.

Like O’Hearn, Valdez was not an asset with the glove last season. He posted -6 DRS in 72 appearances between the corner outfield spots. The majority of his starts came in right field.

The internal option to pick up playing time in right field would be Jake Mangum. He had a decent first year in Pittsburgh after coming over in the trade from the Rays. Mangum was a positive defender and stole 23 bases as a semi-regular option at all three spots. He’s a fairly typical fourth outfielder type, but can be useful in a part-time role.

Beazley notes that Pittsburgh won’t rule out adding in the corners. A righty-swinging outfielder would seem like a logical choice with Valdez and O’Hearn both being left-handed. Well-traveled veterans Randal Grichuk, Ramon Laureano, and Austin Hays fit the mold, though they might be on the hunt for consistent playing time. Old friend Tommy Pham also belongs in the group. The Pirates might be better off banking on Valdez taking the job, knowing they can fall back on O’Hearn and Mangum if needed.