Pittsburgh Pirates 2025-26 Offseason Wishlist

Following yet another 90-loss season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, the club enters the offseason with a long list of areas it needs to address. With the disappointing lack of urgency shown by the front office last winter, fans can only hope this offseason will be a different story.

With rumors that the club is hoping to raise its payroll by $30-40 million this offseason, expectations haven’t been this high in some time.

Pirates’ General Manager Ben Cherington has been on record saying he has more flexibility this offseason than he’s had in recent memory, which has also raised the hopes of the fanbase.

However, the front office has done a lot of talking in the past, too, and failed to actually make any real changes to the roster. This offseason will be about more than just hoping to acquire big free agents, but actually proving that they’re serious about committing to their talented young core.

With that being said, let’s dive into the Pirates’ offseason wish list and examine some potential places they could address in order to meet the moment.

Land a Legitimate Free Agent

Although it’s still early December and many of the sport’s biggest free agents remain on the market, this offseason has already been a whirlwind for the Pirates in terms of rumors.

The Pirates were connected to Josh Naylor before he resigned with the Seattle Mariners in mid-November, and it hasn’t ended there. Multiple sources have also linked the Pirates to some of the biggest free agents on the market, shocking the baseball world.

One of the most important aspects of landing one of the top players on the market is also proving to other big free agents that the team is serious about winning.

If they can land one of these stars, it sends a clear signal to any other player they’re hoping to land that these aren’t the same Pirates.

Potential Fits: Kyle Schwarber, Kazuma Okamoto, Jorge Polanco, Eugenio Suarez

On the surface, these four players being listed as potential fits for the Pittsburgh Pirates may seem ridiculous. However, multiple sources have linked the Pirates to all four of these players, noting that the Pirates are aggressively pursuing some of the top names on the board.

Out of these four players, Kyle Schwarber is a dream, yet very unlikely, given the team’s history. It’s fun to imagine what a lineup might look like with a player of this caliber in it, though.

If you add Schwarber’s 56 home runs to the team’s last-place total of 117, they suddenly tie the San Francisco Giants for the 19th-most in baseball.

This production would simply be game-changing, and it’s possible they could drastically bolster their win total. They went 25-35 in one-run games this season, and having a legitimate slugger like Schwarber could give them the extra power needed to take home more of these contests.

The same could be said for Eugenio Suarez, who would significantly add to the club’s power without fully breaking the bank. In our free agent profile of Suarez, we projected him to make $20-25 million per season, which is well within the realm of possibility given this offseason’s rumors.

Kazuma Okamoto and Jorge Polanco are two very realistic options if the Pirates are truly aiming to spend. Although Okamoto has yet to play a game in MLB, he’s hit at least 30 home runs in six of his eight NPB seasons. He’s also projected to make just $12-17 million, a potential bargain if he comes close to his NPB power numbers.

Jorge Polanco is projected to be in a similar price range and is coming off a 26-home run campaign with the Seattle Mariners in 2025. Polanco could even play a few positions for the club, and he’d bring a switch-hitting, veteran presence to the locker room in the process.

No matter which direction they choose to go, all four of these players could be season-altering additions to the offense. If the Pirates are serious about trying to contend in 2026, landing a legitimate free agent needs to be at the top of their wish list.

Find a Fourth Outfielder

One of the biggest holes in the Pirates’ offense during the 2025 season was their outfield. They didn’t have a single above league-average outfielder all season long, which was a huge reason for the team’s struggles offensively. This needs to be addressed this winter, and the Pirates have already taken a step in the right direction.

On December 4th, the Pirates acquired Jhostynxon Garcia in the Johan Oviedo deal. Garcia has the chance to immediately slot in at left field on Opening Day, which is a massive step forward. Garcia brings the potential for a legitimate power threat in this lineup without breaking the bank in the process.

While this is a start, the Pirates could still benefit from acquiring another outfielder to put into the fold. Garcia still has some questions surrounding his plate discipline and how it’ll transfer to the big leagues, and having another player to turn to during this developmental period is key.

Worst-case scenario, the Pirates could end up using either Garcia or said fourth outfielder in a designated hitter role, which could also really help out the offense. Either way, having more outfield flexibility will be key heading into next season.

Potential Fits: Jordan Beck, Mike Tauchman, Ryan O’Hearn

At first glance, the three names that I think could be good suitors for this role may not immediately jump off the page as huge additions to the lineup.

Admittedly, for the most part, they aren’t. This player doesn’t need to be a top-tier addition; instead, someone who doesn’t break the bank, and someone who comes with upside.

Back in early November, I wrote a piece taking a closer look at Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck and his potential to break out in 2026 with some minor adjustments. Ever since writing this story, I’ve been hooked on his skill set, and I think he’d be a perfect fit for this role.

A former top prospect, Beck comes with impressive raw tools. He finished the 2025 season with 16 homers and a 90 wRC+ across 148 games, showing that he has yet to put things together at the big league level. Despite this, there’s a lot of room for growth, and his price tag may also be lower.

If the Pirates could acquire Beck, it should be a move they should jump on. He’s the perfect player to take a fourth outfielder role with the potential to be much more with some minor changes at the dish. He could split time in left with Garcia, or take on another role that gives the lineup another layer of flexibility.

Despite appearing in just over 90 games last season, Mike Tauchman put together one of his best offensive seasons to date for the White Sox. Posting a 115 wRC+, he was a valuable hitter every time he stepped onto the field. Tauchman likely won’t break the bank, and he gives the Pirates a left-handed platoon option to use with Garcia if they choose to take that route.

He’s probably the least flashy of these three names, but he’d be a valuable addition to this club.

Ryan O’Hearn is another name that could be used in this role, although he’d likely be more than a fourth outfielder. Posting a 127 wRC+ between the Orioles and Padres this season, O’Hearn is one of the more complete hitters you’ll find in this year’s free agent market.

O’Hearn could fill multiple roles on this team. He’d likely be most impactful as a designated hitter, but could handle the PNC Park outfield if needed. O’Hearn would be a presence to be reckoned with in next year’s lineup and would provide valuable depth and protection for a young lineup.

Find a Setup Man

Although addressing the offense is likely the Pirates’ main focus this offseason, they could benefit from adding one legitimate piece to the bullpen.

While Dennis Santana proved he could be a lockdown closer at the end of last season, the rest of the bullpen is still very young and unproven, which could have dangerous consequences if things go sideways next season.

Their main setup option near the end of the 2025 season was right-hander Isaac Mattson, an electric young arm. The only issue with Mattson is that he almost exclusively relied on his fastball (78.5% of the time, to be exact) to attack opposing hitters. This is risky and could be tough to replicate in 2026.

Adding another veteran setup man to this group would be game-changing, as it gives Don Kelly another reliable piece to rely on late in games. Having another reliable arm could also elevate players like Mattson, giving them more protection and taking some pressure off their shoulders.

Potential Fits: Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez

If the Pirates choose to add a setup arm to their rotation, the best way to do it is through a one-year deal, something the team has done in years prior. Most notably, the Pirates brought in Aroldis Chapman on a one-year deal in 2024 to add some padding to the bullpen, and he ended up being a key piece for them by the end of the year.

The first name that jumps out as someone who could fit this role is left-hander Gregory Soto. Known for his time as a fireballer in the Tigers’ bullpen early in his career, Soto has bounced around in each of the last three seasons.

Although he finished the 2025 season with an ERA above 4.00, I feel very good about Soto heading into 2026. For starters, his xERA was 3.90, which could indicate some unluckiness. Additionally, Soto remains elite at limiting barrels, as he finished the 2025 season with a barrel rate of 4.0%.

As it stands right now, the only left-hander in the Pirates’ bullpen is Evan Sisk, meaning the presence of another lefty would be quite impactful. Also, Soto will likely be a cheaper option, making this a slam-dunk choice for this role.

The second arm that stands out to me for this role is fireballer Seranthony Dominguez, who’s coming off an impressive 2025 campaign. Dominguez pitched to a 3.16 ERA between the Orioles and Blue Jays, becoming a huge piece of the near World Series champions’ bullpen.

Dominguez will likely be a little more expensive than Soto, but he’s still a good candidate for a one-year deal below market value. With elite strikeout numbers in 2025, Dominguez is the perfect right-handed setup candidate for the Pirates heading into next season.

Determine a Solution Behind the Dish

So far, every hole we’ve addressed in this story has involved external solutions. This won’t be the case for the Pirates’ catching tandem, which has been one of the biggest internal questions facing this team for the last two offseasons.

As it currently stands, the Pirates have four legitimate options they can turn to next season. This group includes big-time prospects in Henry Davis and Joey Bart, as well as Endy Rodriguez and Rafael Flores.

Each of these players has their own intriguing reasons to be the top choice, which makes this even more fascinating.

One thing is for certain, though: the Pirates must determine a solution behind the dish this winter.

Despite receiving some negative feedback for his 2025 performance, Joey Bart was actually one of the most underrated hitters on the team last season. He joined Spencer Horwitz as one of only two hitters to post a wRC+ above 100, showing his value to the offense.

The main downside with Bart is his defense. He was one of the worst defensive catchers in all of baseball last year, which is something the organization needs to improve upon with such a young rotation.

While Bart probably isn’t the answer the Pirates would like to have behind the dish, he’s been a nice stopgap for them on their road to the true solution.

The next option, Henry Davis, has steadily become one of the more disappointing players on this roster over the last few seasons. After being selected first overall in 2021, Davis has yet to even post a wRC+ of 80 at the big league level through parts of three seasons.

He’s yet to get 300 plate appearances at the big league level, so there’s still some uncertainty in his game. Given that, the Pirates may want to give him a larger opportunity in 2026 to see what he can do. Now 25, the clock is ticking with Davis, and it might also be best for the Pirates to move on from him before it’s too late.

The same can be said for Endy Rodriguez as well. Unfortunately, injuries have set him back tremendously, as he went from one of the brightest young stars in the organization to an afterthought in a few seasons.

It’s hard to tell what the future holds for Rodriguez, but a positional change seems like the best route for him moving forward if he wants any chance at succeeding with the Bucs.

The final piece of this puzzle is Rafael Flores, the main return in this summer’s David Bednar trade. Flores showed flashes of being a very talented catcher during his first seven big league games, but ultimately failed to record an above league-average wRC+.

With Flores still possessing impressive potential, he’ll likely get an extended look at some point during the 2026 season. He has a chance to be an exciting young catcher if given the chance to shine, hopefully bringing some pop to the catcher position along the way.

The Pirates will need to choose a lane with their catching tandem before Opening Day. This is important for numerous reasons, but for example, if Davis or Rodriguez come out of the gate with another disappointing start to the season, the Pirates could’ve missed their one last chance to get something from these players while they still can.

Considering that whoever they choose will also be in charge of leading such an impressive rotation is another important aspect of this. The Pirates must be careful with this decision, as the impact could be felt far beyond their production at the plate.

Final Thoughts

This offseason has the chance to be one of the most important moments in the franchise’s recent history. If they’re truly willing to spend money and commit to their young core, they could be gearing up for the first playoff run in over a decade. If not, this offseason could set them back even further than they already are.

Only time will tell as to how Ben Cherington decides to tackle this offseason, but the Pirates must stay aggressive. If they stay too passive, another golden opportunity could pass them by before they even know it.