The Pittsburgh Pirates are still looking to strike while the iron is hot on this offseason and continue to add pieces to their club. General Manager Ben Cherington said this offseason has been positive
to this point as they work towards building a better lineup for 2026.
“We have several weeks between now and opening day. It’s our job to use every day to hunt opportunities to get better,” Cherington said. “I’m confident we will continue to add to the roster during that time.”
The Pirates have already made waves this winter by trading for All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe and signing All-Star first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. They also acquired up and coming utility outfielder Jake Mangum from Tampa as well as top 100 outfield prospect Jhostynxon García in a trade with Boston.
Pittsburgh’s lineup already looks transformed, as it was an offensive unit that finished at the bottom in several statistical categories in 2025. Cherington says the feeling around these moves have been positive.
“As excited about the moves we’ve made, the reaction we’re getting from people within our clubhouse — staff and players — what I hear from them after some of these things are happening is also a good feeling,”Cherington said.
Several key spots are still on the radar of the ambitious GM. The Pirates are still looking to add a piece on the left side of the infield. Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales are inexpensive in-house options to fill the voids at short stop and at third base for the time being, but their offensive woes could hamper an improving lineup. Konnor Griffin is the heir apparent to be the Pirates full-time short stop at some point, but it is still unclear how long he will remain in the Minor Leagues.
Triolo is a Gold Glove caliber defender and is more than capable of filling that role for the time being, but the Pirates will not stop looking for another viable option. Signing Mangum and García adds depth to the team’s outfield, but Cherington said they would remain ‘optimistic’ towards finding another piece for that group.
A majority of the moves this offseason has been to improve upon the Pirates troubled offense, but they have made some moves to improve the bullpen as well. Gregory Soto was signed to a one-year contract and the team acquired lefty reliever Mason Montgomery in the Brandon Lowe trade. They have also resigned Dennis Santana to avoid arbitration.
Cherington said he’s pleased with the progress but far from done with his plans to improve the team.
“We feel good about the progress we’ve made. Not satisfied,” Cherington said. “There’s more we want to do.”
The organization is looking to add a veteran arm to their starting rotation. Mike Burrows was dealt to Houston and Johan Oviedo was traded to Boston for Garcia, so the rotation certainly took the brunt of the damage in improving this offense. With that being said they are still on pace to have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, with All-Star and Cy Young winner Paul Skenes leading the charge. Behind him will be Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft. Jared Jones is still rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is expected to be able to start pitching in games again by the All-Star break.
The Pirates don’t need another All-Star pitcher, they just need a veteran who can give them quality innings in tough spots. Andrew Heaney was great in this role last year and really helped bolster a developing rotation.
Newly signed Ryan O’Hearn said in his introductory press conference that when deciding on where to sign that the Pirates seemed as though they were only one or two pieces away from being legit contenders. The team has certainly taken the right steps to be more competitive, the question now is can Cherington and company continue to add to this team and can the new pieces work together to solve this puzzle of competing as a small market baseball team.
