Three Players the Pirates Could’ve Signed

When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Marcell Ozuna, they were likely hoping he’d be a middle-of-the-lineup bat. Ozuna was one of baseball’s best hitters in 2023-2024. However, red flags surrounded Ozuna when the Pirates signed him. Ozuna owned a 148 wRC+ in 2023-2024, which fell to just 114 last year. He played through a hip injury, and it definitely showed in his performance at the plate. From the start of June through the end of the year, Ozuna batted a meager .203/.308/.365 with an 89 wRC+. Now, Ozuna has just two hits through 35 plate appearances. The Pirates signed Ozuna for a $12 million guaranteed contract. Even without hindsight, the Pirates were likely better off using that money toward another free agent, specifically one of these bats.

Three Players the Pirates Could’ve Signed

Josh Bell

A Josh Bell reunion would have made a lot more sense than Ozuna. Bell’s 2025 was nearly as good as Ozuna’s, is younger, and had much more promising underlying numbers. The former Pirates All-Star slashed .237/.325/.417 with 22 home runs over 533 plate appearances in his second stint with the Washington Nationals. Bell has always drawn walks at a respectable rate, and 2025 was no different. He walked in 10.7% of his plate appearances last season. However, he also posted a career-low K% of 16.5%. Overall, he owned a .324 wOBA and 107 wRC+.

Bell’s underlying numbers looked very good. He had a solid 90.4 MPH exit velocity, and his 12%-barrel rate was his best percentage since 2019. That also happens to be his best season at the dish. Bell was in the 87th percentile of xwOBA at .359, and the 84th percentile of xSLG% at .485. His plate discipline was also solid, with a 55th percentile whiff rate (23.6%) and a 54th percentile chase rate (26.8%).

Bell signed for just one year at $7 million with the Minnesota Twins. The veteran 1B/DH has kicked his tenure in Minnesota off in a big way. Bell has six hits in his first 32 plate appearances of the year. Of those six hits, he has three doubles and two home runs. While Bell has struck out a dozen times, he also has seven walks. The Pirates could still have a reunion with Bell this year. If they still need a DH by the trade deadline, Bell will be one of the better low-cost/short-term sluggers on the trade market.

Mike Yastrzemski

Mike Yastrzemski is the model of consistency. Since making his MLB debut in 2019, the outfielder has put up a wRC+ over 105 with 15+ home runs in all but one year (not including 2020). 2025 was no different. Yastrzemski turned in a .233/.333/.403 line, .321 wOBA, and 106 wRC+ in 558 plate appearances with the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. Yastrzemski went yard 16 times while owning a solid .170 isolated slugging percentage. His plate discipline was a whole lot better in 2025 compared to previous seasons.

Yastrzemski was in the 87th percentile of chase rate. His 12.9% walk rate is his best full-season mark. His 81st percentile, 19% whiff rate was also a career-best mark. Yastrzemski struck out just 19.4% of the time, the first time he had ever struck out in less than 20% of his plate appearances in a single season.

Yastrzemski signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Braves, guaranteeing $23 million. However, he’ll make just $9 million this year, and $10 million next year (the rest comes from his $5 million buyout for a third year). If the Pirates had signed Yastrzemski, he’d likely share corner outfield/DH duties with Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn. Defensive metrics have been mixed for Yastrzemski over the last three years, with +18 defensive runs saved but -1 out above average. He may not be off to a strong start this year, but he already has eight hits in 38 plate appearances.

Miguel Andujar

The Pirates once had Miguel Andujar in their organization. He spent parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the team. While Andujar occasionally flashed the talent he showed from his 2018 rookie season, he never could put it together consistently with the Bucs. He had a playable year at the plate in 2024, posting roughly league-average production. However, 2025 was a much different (and better) story.

Andujar collected 351 plate appearances with the Athletics and the Cincinnati Reds. He slashed .315/.352/.470 with a .354 wOBA, and 125 wRC+. Andujar went yard ten times over the course of the season with a respectable .153 isolated slugging percentage. Andujar has never been one to walk very often, and 2025 was no different. He drew a free pass just 5% of the time. However, he only struck out in 14.4% of his trips to the plate.

The San Diego Padres signed Andujar for one year at $4 million guaranteed. It is worth mentioning that Andujar didn’t have the best underlying stats. He ended the season with just a .298 xwOBA. However, it’s not as if Ozuna had a strong xwOBA from June through the end of the year at .324. Andujar already has a half-dozen hits over 25 plate appearances and seven games. Of those seven hits, he has a double and a triple.