The offseason is officially underway for the Pittsburgh Pirates and there are a lot of things they need to figure out before the start of the 2027 season. One of those things is what to do with some upcoming free agents.
Let’s take a look at some of the players that are on expiring contracts and set to become free agents, and decide whether to bring them back or let them seek other opportunities.
The biggest name is definitely second baseman Brandon Lowe. Lowe has only been in Pittsburgh for one year
but that year was fantastic. The veteran leads the team in RBIs and home runs and he is a National League gold glove finalist. The issue is with the season he had he is going to ask for an expensive contract and the Pirates front office is known for not wanting to spend that type of money.
Lowe will be a free agent this winter, and it’ll be interesting to see what he signs for, whether it’s with the Pirates or somewhere else.
I think it is important for Pittsburgh to bring him back. He brought much needed power to the lineup this year after the Bucs were dead last in home runs in 2025. The Pirates had a formidable offense this year and a lot of that is because of the addition of Lowe. He also brings veteran leadership which is huge because of the young team that is around him.
Pittsburgh signed Gregory Soto as a free agent last offseason, and now the 31-year-old is set to hit the open market once again. Soto had a respectable season with the Pirates in 2026. He posted a 3.63 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP. His strikeout rate of 27.7 percent in 2026 was also an improvement from a year ago.
Soto was thrown into a closer role for a bit of the season with 22 save attempts converting on 16 of them. He struggled in that role but Soto is an important piece to bring back, they can use him in relief situations like in the seventh or eighth inning.
Still, the Pirates need more bullpen depth, and Soto’s experience as a veteran reliever could be nice to have on a still-young team. If Pittsburgh doesn’t re-sign Soto, there will likely be another team interested in adding him.
Kirby Yates’ contract is indeed expiring, making him a free agent. The veteran pitcher is in a very different situation than the two players mentioned earlier on this list. Yates confirmed after game 162 that he is retiring from baseball at the conclusion of the season.
Yates’ time in Pittsburgh didn’t last long. He pitched in 15 games after the Pirates traded for him ahead of the deadline in early August.
Yates’ career is over but the other two players are going to start a lot of important front office conversations in the offseason in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have to ask themselves is this the year to spend money and bring back both Lowe and Soto?
