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Pirates land All-Star slugger they've been looking for in O’Hearn
Ryan O'Hearn. David Frerker-Imagn Images

Pirates land All-Star slugger they've been looking for in Ryan O’Hearn

The Pittsburgh Pirates (71-91 in 2025) have not had a winning season in nearly a decade (2018, 83-79) and are trying to change that this offseason. 

The Pirates showed their willingness to be big spenders this offseason when they offered now Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber a four-year contract worth $120 million. After losing out on Schwarber, the Pirates remained determined to land an All-Star slugger, which will come in the form of first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, who is finalizing a deal to sign with the club. 

According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Pirates and O’Hearn are finalizing a two-year, $29 million contract. O’Hearn will become the Pirates' first multiyear free-agent signing in nearly 10 years, with right-hander Ivan Nova being the last player to sign a multiyear deal with them. The deal also contains $500K worth of performance incentives. 

This past season, he was named to his first All-Star team in his eight years in the big leagues. The 32-year-old O’Hearn was great while with the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, batting .281 with an OPS of .803 and hitting a career-high 17 home runs in a career-high 144 games.

Pirates signing Ryan O’Hearn shows they mean business in 2026

The Pirates should and are showing that they are going to make a run to win their first National League Central title since 1992 after winning three straight division titles (1990-92). The agreement with O’Hearn comes on the heels of the Pirates trading for two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, who, along with O’Hearn, will give them pop (31 home runs) and run production (83 RBI) in their lineup. 

Adding O’Hearn also gives the Pirates another veteran leader for their clubhouse to help their young core and could help them compete for a potential playoff berth.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history. 

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