The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming to the end of their offseason, which has been busy to say the least.
The Pirates have done a decent job acquiring offensive talent, including Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn,
among others. Some members of the Bucs Dugout staff put their two cents in on the team’s grade for the offseason.
Austin Bechtold: B
The Pirates offseason is still incomplete, in my mind. They need to add a third baseman and left-handed fifth starter. Eugenio Suarez and either Tyler Anderson or Jose Quintana would be an A. Right now, it’s a B. They finally signed a free agent to a multi-year deal and I’m intrigued by O’Hearn. I like the Lowe and Garcia trades from Tampa and Boston. They need to solve third. I’m encouraged but what they’ve done and give Ben Cherington credit for the moves he’s made, but add one significant bat at third and it’s a great offseason.
Darren Yuvan: B+
That might be on a slight curve given that I wasn’t expecting the things that they did, but it was a successful offseason nonetheless. But not perfect, so that’s why it’s not an A. They still need help at third, maybe one more outfielder, and probably another left-handed arm, but there’s no doubt that this team improved.
Ethan Coulehan: B
They made more moves than I thought they would in the offseason. They didn’t sign anyone groundbreaking but I do think the moves they made and the pitching rotation that the Bucs have I think they could be a sneaky playoff team for 2026.
Jaiman White: B+
They added some good pieces on offense that should help to improve what was a terrible lineup in 2025. Adding two All-Stars like Lowe and O’Hearn was a very uncharacteristic move for the Pirates and it should give this lineup a much needed facelift. The Buccos sacrificed some starting pitching to get those pieces, but with one of the best rotations in baseball already the team should be in a good spot. Resigning McCutchen to one last contract will make this the perfect offseason.
Jeremy Brener: C
I think most of my Bucs Dugout comrades have been generous to Pirates general manager Ben Sherrington and what the team has done. The Pirates have made moves, but there’s no guarantee any of these will be a slam dunk. Lowe and O’Hearn are solid signings compared to what they have done in the past, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will get the Pirates out of the doldrums of the NL Central standings.
They have missed on some opportunities, but have made a considerable effort to improve the roster. To me, that results in an average offseason, which explains the C grade.
BD community, what do you think of the team’s offseason? What grade would you give the Pirates for the offseason? Chime off in the comments section below.
