The Pittsburgh Pirates may not be able to swing any more significant trades this winter.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have already made a couple of trades this offseason, landing slugger Brandon Lowe and outfielder Jake Mangum in a three-team deal and acquiring outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia in a trade that sent pitcher Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox.
However, the Pirates may have a difficult time swinging any other trades this winter, and Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic revealed why.
"With so many clubs trying to win, few are willing to accept prospects in trades. That, however, is the kind of deal the Pirates want to make," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote. "As the free-agent market thins, any player they move off their major-league roster will be difficult to replace."
The one time Pittsburgh is trying to get aggressive, too.
Of course, the Pirates can always further explore the free-agent market, and they have already added Ryan O'Hearn on that front. However, Pittsburgh is not exactly a marquee destination for free agents, and the Bucs would probably have to overpay to land anyone of significance.
"The Pirates entered the offseason seeking to add one or two regulars plus two to four less proven position players who would add depth. Lowe and O’Hearn will be regulars. Mangum and Garcia represent depth. The Pirates still need more," Rosenthal and Sammon added.
Pittsburgh finished at or near the bottom in every offensive category last season, so even after adding some new pieces, the lineup is still very much a work in progress.
The Buccos could hope for a breakout season (finally) from Oneil Cruz, and they could also bank on Bryan Reynolds rediscovering his swing after posting a .720 OPS in 2025.
But the reality of it is that Cruz has shown very little since entering the league in 2021, and Reynolds — whom the Pirates signed to an eight-year, $106.75 million extension in April 2023 — has not posted an OPS of .800 or above since 2022.
Pittsburgh almost certainly needs to acquire more bats in order to be truly competitive next season, and that's where things become very complicated.
Perhaps the Pirates can find a trade partner somewhere, or maybe they'll shock everyone and land Cody Bellinger in free agency.
But we also have to prepare for the possibility that the bulk of Pittsburgh's offseason work is done.
Category: General Sports
