It’s been a while since the Pittsburgh Pirates had an aggressive offseason. They haven’t signed a free agent to a multi-year deal since December 2016, which is a big reason why they haven’t made the playoffs during that time.
That could be changing this winter, however, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.
On Tuesday’s episode of “Foul Territory,” Rosenthal provided an update from MLB’s GM meetings in Las Vegas. He said he’s heard from other teams that the Pirates and Miami Marlins want to be more aggressive this offseason coming off their disappointing 2025 campaigns.
“I heard that the Marlins and Pirates are telling agents, ‘Hey, we’d like to be aggressive. We’d like to spend a little bit,” Rosenthal said. “Now, that can be in free agency, or it can be in the manner of taking on salaries in trades.”
That would signal a significant shift for both franchises. According to USA TODAY, Pittsburgh ranked 26th in Opening Day payroll for 2025, while Miami ranked 30th.
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Coming off seven straight losing seasons and 10 consecutive years without a playoff berth, the Pirates may be feeling some urgency to compete next year and build a contender around Paul Skenes, who’s already proven himself to be arguably the best pitcher in baseball.
Pittsburgh already boasts an impressive pitching staff that ranked seventh in ERA last season. If the Pirates can find some bats this winter, they’ll be well-positioned to compete for a playoff spot next year.
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