RSS Pirates Team Notes

Pirates Hoping To Add “Proven Bat” Following Lowe Trade

The Pirates made a major addition to their offense yesterday when they swung a three-team trade with the Astros and Rays that saw them ship out right-hander Mike Burrows and acquire second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum, and left-hander Mason Montgomery. Lowe is the major prize of that trade as a former All-Star with eight years in the majors under is belt and a career wRC+ of 123, but even after bringing Lowe into the fold GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that the team hopes to add another “proven bat” to the roster this offseason beyond Lowe.

Bringing in offense to help support a rotation led by superstar righty Paul Skenes has long been the goal of Pittsburgh’s offseason. The Pirates finished 28th in the majors with a wRC+ of just 86 last year, and while bringing in a bat like Lowe to join Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds as a locked-in, everyday player should help, it won’t be enough to turn things around on its own. Lowe isn’t the only viable bat the team has brought in, of course; Mangum posted a decent 95 wRC+ in his rookie seasons with the Rays last year and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him and freshly-acquired prospect Jhostynxon Garcia split time in left for the Pirates this season. The possibility of top prospect Konnor Griffin making an impact as the team’s everyday shortstop can’t be ruled out, either.

Even with those youngsters potentially ready to help Lowe, Reynolds, Cruz, Spencer Horwitz, and Joey Bart fill out the lineup, however, questions remain. Lowe figures to get the majority of the reps at second base, pushing Nick Gonzales off of the position. Griffin’s eventual ascent to the MLB roster could, too, push Jared Triolo off the shortstop position. Cherington noted that both players are working out at second base and shortstop this offseason, with Triolo also taking reps at third base. With Triolo and Gonzales being joined by Lowe and (eventually) Griffin, the team’s middle infield mix seems fairly well-set for the time being.

The hot corner is perhaps the most unsettled position on the roster for the Pirates after Ke’Bryan Hayes was traded to Cincinnati last summer. That would be a logical place for the club to look for an addition, and so it’s perhaps no surprise that the club has been attached to players like Jorge Polanco (who has since signed with the Mets) and Kazuma Okamoto in free agency. The trade market offers fewer obvious options than free agency, though the Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan is certainly flexible enough defensively to handle the hot corner and it’s not impossible to imagine the Phillies dealing away Alec Bohm. Internally, Triolo and perhaps Nick Yorke are options at the position, though the latter has only token experience there.

If adding a third baseman isn’t in the cards, that certainly doesn’t mean there’s no other way to add a bat. Andrew McCutchen’s departure via free agency leaves the DH spot wide open. Perhaps the Pirates could look to add a DH outright to replace McCutchen as the simplest way to inject life into their offense. The club previously made a significant effort to pursue Kyle Schwarber, and while he’s now off the market Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently connected the Pirates to veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna, who posted a respectable 114 wRC+ even in a down season last year, would be a big upgrade to the Pirates lineup but would leave them with minimal versatility. Perhaps, then, adding an outfielder or first baseman to the mix who could pitch in defensively in addition to taking DH reps like Ryan O’Hearn could make more sense.

Perhaps the trade market could be an avenue to upgrade even if the club isn’t looking for a third baseman, as well. The Red Sox are known to be open to trading one of their controllable outfielders like Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, although the rumored price tag is sky-high. The Mets are seemingly open to offers on infielder Mark Vientos, who has experience at third base but profiles better at first, and players like Steven Kwan and Alec Burleson could at least theoretically be available as well.

The problem with taking a big swing on the trade market, however, is that Cherington appears hesitant to deal more from the club’s rotation depth after already trading away Burrows and Johan Oviedo. As Alex Stumpf of MLB.com notes, even Cherington indicated an openness to adding a back-of-the-rotation starter to the mix as he expressed reluctance to trade away more of the club’s depth.

“You don’t ever wanna say never,” Cherington said, as relayed by Stumpf. “Don’t want to cut ourselves off to something that just really makes sense for the Pirates short term and long term. But it would have to clear a bar for sure. At this point it seems unlikely we would do that unless we saw a player coming back that was an immediate fit for the lineup and also with some confidence that we can add a starter back in a different way whether that was through trade or free agency. I think that’s possible.”

That’s not fully shutting the door on a trade of someone like Mitch Keller or Carmen Mlodzinski from the rotation, but it certainly appears to indicate there are real obstacles to pulling off that sort of move. If the Pirates were able to add more depth via free agency, that could more clearly open the door to a trade that sends a controllable pitcher out in exchange for an impact player like Duran or Donovan. Zack Littell, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Mahle are among the interesting rotation options available who could be within Pittsburgh’s price range, should they go hunting for an arm in free agency.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/pirates-hoping-to-add-proven-bat-following-lowe-trade.html
 
Details On Ketel Marte’s No-Trade Protection

The seven-year contract extension Ketel Marte signed with the Diamondbacks last April included a five-team no-trade clause, which adds an interesting wrinkle to the trade rumors that have swirled around the former NLCS MVP in recent weeks. As reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Athletics, Cardinals, Giants, Pirates, and Yankees are the five teams included on Marte’s current list, which can be updated every offseason.

There are any number of reasons why a player may include a particular team on a no-trade list, and it is worth noting that Marte could still ultimately approve a deal to any of these clubs. There is no obvious geographic link between the five teams, and while the Yankees were the only member of the group to reach the 2025 playoffs, the Giants, Pirates, and even the A’s are all looking to compete in 2026. The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, so it is safe to say they weren’t in the running to acquire Marte anyway.

Interestingly, the Pirates and Giants have been linked to Marte’s trade market. Now that Pittsburgh has landed Brandon Lowe from the Rays in yesterday’s big three-team swap, the Bucs may feel their second base needs have been addressed, though there is a world where Lowe could be a primary DH and Marte could still be brought aboard. Still, there’s such a hefty amount of money remaining on Marte’s contract that a trade to the budget-conscious Pirates always seemed like an imperfect fit, and Marte’s no-trade list might well underline his own reservations about joining a team with just one winning season in the last decade.

San Francisco has also topped the .500 mark only once in the last nine seasons, but the Giants have been much more willing to spend in their bid to return to consistent contention. While ownership is wary about making another long-term financial commitment, Marte’s deal could be viewed as a relative bargain, since he would land way more than $102.5MM on a six-year deal if he was a free agent this winter.

Second base is a need position for the Giants, though perhaps not as pressing as the club’s need for more rotation help. Making a big splash in acquiring Marte might not be as big a priority, in that case, plus there are the added obstacles of Marte’s no-trade protection and the Diamondbacks’ probable reluctance to move the All-Star to a division rival. San Francisco is considered to be one of the favorites to pry Brendan Donovan away from the Cardinals, so that might end up being the Giants’ big move to address the keystone.

The Giants and Pirates each play in pitcher-friendly ballparks, which might factor into Marte’s reasoning for including the teams on his list. Sutter Health Park is extremely hitter-friendly, yet it is fair to wonder if Marte just doesn’t want to play in a minor league stadium for at least the next two seasons while the A’s await the construction of their new ballpark in Las Vegas.

The A’s have a big hole at second base, and acquiring Marte would add another top-tier bat to a lineup that already includes Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, and Shea Langeliers. While the A’s have been a bit more willing to spend over the last year, Marte’s remaining salary would represent a new spending frontier for the traditionally low-payroll team. Hypothetically, Luis Severino could be included in a Marte trade as salary offset, but that assumes Arizona (who needs rotation help) has any interest in Severino in the wake of his uninspiring 2025 season.

The Yankees are the most interesting inclusion on Marte’s list, as one would think he would welcome a chance to join a perennial contender. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is already playing second base in the Bronx, but Chisholm is a free agent next winter, so Marte would represent a longer-term answer at the position. Purely speculatively, any kind of Diamondbacks/Yankees trade involving Marte could see Chisholm going the other way, to give Arizona a one-year stopgap at second or third base.

Re-signing Cody Bellinger is thought be the Yankees’ top offseason priority, though New York might pivot to other backup plans should Bellinger sign elsewhere. Landing Marte would certainly qualify as a substantial Plan B, yet his no-trade clause might make any potential trade a moot point.

Amidst all of the reports and speculation, it remains unclear if the Diamondbacks actually will trade away a star player who received such a lengthy contract extension less than a year ago. With Lowe now in Pittsburgh, however, one big second-base trade chip has been removed from the board, leaving other teams in need of keystone help perhaps more open to meeting Arizona’s demands for Marte. Beyond the Pirates and Giants, such teams as the Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Tigers have all reportedly shown some degree of interest in a Marte trade this winter.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/details-on-ketel-martes-no-trade-protection.html
 
Latest On Pirates’ Interest In Kazuma Okamoto

It was almost a month ago that the Pirates were first linked to Kazuma Okamoto, as The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich reported that Okamoto was one several free agent hitters the Buccos were “considering.” The club’s interest has apparently continued, with a team source telling Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Okamoto and the Pirates have engaged in “multiple virtual meetings.” It isn’t known if Okamoto is planning any in-person visits to Pittsburgh or any other cities before his 45-day posting window closes on January 4.

In general, there haven’t been a ton of details about Okamoto’s efforts to arrive in Major League Baseball, apart from reports that the Red Sox and Blue Jays are involved in his market along with the Pirates. Boston may be a less likely suitor now that Willson Contreras has been acquired to play first base, and while Okamoto is primarily a third baseman, the Sox are known be pursuing Alex Bregman. It is entirely possible Bregman will still be weighing his options by January 4, so the Red Sox might not want to make another signing in the interim that rules Bregman out. The Jays are in something of a similar situation as they consider re-signing Bo Bichette, or potentially pivoting to another big bat like Kyle Tucker or even Bregman.

Any number of other suitors could be involved with Okamoto, of course. With over two weeks to go before the end of his posting window, there is plenty of time for other teams to emerge, plus any shifts in the Bregman/Bichette/Tucker markets could spur some more interest from the Red Sox or Blue Jays. As such, it’s a reach to suggest that the Pirates are any sort of favorite for Okamoto, especially given their lack of history at attracting Japanese talent…or prominent free agents in general.

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Okamoto 19th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and projected the infielder for a four-year, $64MM contract. That estimated price tag could represent the biggest obstacle to a deal between Okamoto and the Pirates, who have long been hesitant to spend on the open market. Francisco Liriano’s three-year, $39MM deal from the 2014-15 remains the largest free agent contract in Pittsburgh’s history, though the team’s actions this winter indicate that owner Robert Nutting may (finally) be more willing to open the checkbook.

The Pirates were reportedly willing to give Kyle Schwarber a four-year deal in the range of $120MM-$125MM, and also had interest in Josh Naylor before Naylor rather quickly exited the market by re-signing with the Mariners. The Bucs have also been linked to Ketel Marte on the trade market, and the Diamondbacks second baseman carries a hefty price tag from the extension he signed with Arizona just last spring.

To date, Pittsburgh has already added Brandon Lowe as a very prominent lineup addition via the three-team trade with the Rays and Astros that also brought Jake Mangum into the outfield mix. Jhostynxon Garcia also arrived in the ’Burgh via a five-player deal with the Red Sox. Those two trades saw the Pirates trade from their rotation depth by moving out Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows, though GM Ben Cherington said his team is still looking to land another “proven bat.”

Okamoto doesn’t exactly fit this description, as the 29-year-old obviously has never seen any action in North American baseball. There have also been some question as to how Okamoto will be able to handle the higher velocity of MLB pitchers, and his defensive value as a third baseman is seen as solid if nothing special. This all said, Okamoto has been one of Japan’s best hitters for years, with a career .277/.361/.521 slash line and 248 home runs over his 4494 plate appearances with the Yomiuri Giants.

Signing Okamoto to a multi-year deal would provide some long-term lineup, as Lowe is slated for free agency next winter. Installing Okamoto at third base would leave Jared Triolo, Nick Gonzales, and Nick Yorke battling for middle infield playing time (when Lowe is used at DH instead of second base), yet using this group in a part-time or bench capacity only deepens the roster. There is also the simple fact that none of the trio hit in 2025, so it is hard to imagine Okamoto wouldn’t represent some kind of upgrade for a Pittsburgh team that badly needs more offense.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/latest-on-pirates-interest-in-kazuma-okamoto.html
 
Pirates To Sign Dominic Fletcher To Minor League Deal

The Pirates and outfielder Dominic Fletcher have agreed to a minor league deal, as first reported by Bucco Bantr. The Ballengee Group client also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Fletcher, 28, has appeared in 112 big league games over the past three big league seasons. Suiting up for the Diamondbacks and the White Sox, he has stepped to the plate 377 times but with just four home runs and a 5.3% walk rate. That’s led to a .233/.280/.325 batting line and 67 wRC+, indicating he’s been 33% below league average at the plate. He’s been better in the minors but not by much. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has a .256/.317/.432 line and 88 wRC+ on the farm.

The White Sox outrighted him off their roster in October and he was later able to elect free agency. Despite the lack of offense, Fletcher could have a path to being a glove-first fourth outfielder. He has 872 2/3 big league innings in the outfield, having spent time in all three slots on the grass. In that time, he’s been credited with five Outs Above Average and 13 Defensive Runs Saved.

The Bucs project to have Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in two outfield spots. That leaves one job open for guys like Jake Mangum, Jhostynxon García, Jack Suwinski and Billy Cook. They recently designated Marco Luciano for assignment, so he could be in the mix as non-roster depth if he clears waivers. Ronny Simón is already aboard as a non-roster option as the Bucs signed him to a minor league deal.

Fletcher now jumps into that competition for outfield playing time. If he eventually earns a roster spot, he has one option season remaining. He also has a bit more than one year of service time, so he’s still years away from qualifying for arbitration and could therefore be affordably retained for the foreseeable future.

Photo courtesy of Lon Horwedel, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/pirates-to-sign-dominic-fletcher-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
Pirates To Sign Ryan O’Hearn

The Pirates and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn have agreed to a two-year deal with a $29MM guarantee, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The ACES client can also earn an extra $500K each year via incentives. Per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the $500K breaks down as $100K for 450 plate appearances, another $100K for 475, then $150K for 500 and 525 plate appearances. Pittsburgh has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move for this to become official.

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O’Hearn, now 32, has been enjoying a late-career breakout over the past three seasons. He played parts of five seasons with the Royals from 2018 to 2022 with just a .219/.293/.390 line to show for it.

The Royals designated O’Hearn for assignment in December of 2022. The Orioles saw enough potential in him to acquire him by sending cash considerations to Kansas City. Baltimore designated him for assignment shortly thereafter and passed him through waivers.

If you’ve ever wondered why a team would acquire a player and put him on waivers a week or two later, O’Hearn provides the explanation. The O’s opened a roster spot for other moves while keeping O’Hearn in a non-roster capacity. He had a strong spring in 2023 but Baltimore still sent him to the minors to begin the season, maintaining depth.

By the middle of April 2023, O’Hearn was back in the big leagues and has been on an upward trajectory since then. He hit 14 homers for Baltimore that year and slashed .289/.322/.480 for a 118 wRC+. His 4.1% walk rate was quite poor and he benefited from a .340 batting average on balls in play but it was a fantastic upgrade over his previous work.

More improvements came in 2024. His .264/.334/.427 batting line again led to a 118 wRC+, an exact match for the year prior, but it felt more earned this time. His BABIP dropped to a below-average .282 while his walk rate more than doubled to 9.3%.

In 2025, a year he split between the O’s and Padres after a deadline trade, he increased his walk rate yet again to 10.7%. His 17 home runs were a career high. His batted-ball luck turned again, as he posted a .330 BABIP. That all led to a .281/.366/.437 line and 127 wRC+.

He also seemed to have less of a platoon split. Like many lefty hitters, he has often struggled against southpaws. But in 2025, he had a .278/.358/.474 line and 135 wRC+ against lefties. That was in just 109 plate appearances and he had a .358 BABIP in the split but it was an encouraging development nonetheless.

In addition to his work at the plate, O’Hearn provided some defensive versatility. He mostly played first base but also logged around 150 outfield innings in each of the past three seasons.

The entire package lined O’Hearn up for a nice payday, though he wasn’t quite at the level of guys like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso or Josh Naylor. At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted O’Hearn to secure a two-year deal worth $26MM. He’s gone just a shade beyond that.

Few would have predicted the Pirates to be the club to pay O’Hearn. They have been one of the least active clubs in free agency in the past decade. They haven’t given any free agent a multi-year deal since Ivan Nova’s three-year pact back in 2016. Their last multi-year deal for a free agent hitter was two years and $8MM for John Jaso in 2015. The largest free agent guarantee in franchise history is still the three-year, $39MM deal for Francisco Liriano from 2014.

But they have clearly come into this offseason determined to overhaul their lineup. The past few seasons have seen them develop a big stockpile of pitching talent but they have had far less success with developing their position player prospects.

The Bucs flirted with contention in 2023 and 2024 but without making the postseason. The 2025 club sputtered and never really felt in it. The offense was a big part of the disappointment this year. The club had a collective .231/.305/.350 line and 82 wRC+, with the Rockies the only club with less offensive production. Spencer Horwitz was the only individual on the team with a wRC+ greater than 101.

Before the 2025 campaign was even over, it seemed likely that they would focus on adding offense this winter. The general expectation was that they would do that by trading from their deep supply of starting pitchers, which they have done, but they have been surprisingly active in free agency as well.

They reportedly offered Naylor a contract somewhere in the range of $80MM, before he returned to the Mariners on a deal paying him $92.5MM. They offered Schwarber around $120-125MM before the Phils brought him back with a $150MM deal.

Being a runner-up for a free agent is only worth so much but it has been clear that the Pirates are now more willing to spend than in other offseasons. They have also been connected to Jorge Polanco, before he signed with the Mets, Kazuma Okamoto, who is still a free agent, and some other hitters.

O’Hearn isn’t quite as exciting as Schwarber would have been. It’s also true that the club still has the embarrassing record of having never given a free agent $40MM. Still, O’Hearn is their biggest free agent splash in years and becomes one of their best hitters.

As mentioned, the Bucs have also used their pitching surplus to add more offense. They acquired Jhostynxon García in the trade sending Johan Oviedo to Boston. They sent Mike Burrows to Houston in a three-team trade that brought back Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum from the Rays, alongside lefty reliever Mason Montgomery.

Time will tell if there’s more to come before Opening Day. For now, O’Hearn jumps into a position player that group which could develop in a few different ways.

The Pirates don’t really have a full-time designated hitter, with Andrew McCutchen currently unsigned. He has repeatedly re-signed with Pittsburgh in recent years but there have been some hints that the two sides are a bit less likely to reunite for 2026.

As of now, Lowe and Horwitz could be the regulars at second and first, respectively. Horwitz has a bit of second base experience but that was with the Blue Jays when the presence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it hard for him to get playing time at first. The Bucs kept him at first base in 2025.

Lowe isn’t a great defender, so perhaps he could see regular time in the DH spot, or Horwitz and O’Hearn could share first base and DH.

There’s also room for O’Hearn in the outfield. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds should have two spots spoken for. Guys like García, Mangum, Jack Suwinski and Billy Cook are in the mix for playing time but O’Hearn playing the outfield could leave the DH spot open for Lowe.

That would then leave more second base playing time for guys like Nick Yorke, Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales. Triolo and Gonzales could also be factors at third base and shortstop but prospect Konnor Griffin might charge forward and become the shortstop before long, though he’s only 19 years old and hasn’t played the Triple-A level yet.

It’s possible the Bucs make even more moves in the coming months but a lot will be determined by the health and performance of the various moving parts on the roster.

RosterResource, assuming the O’Hearn deal has equal salaries in the two years, projects the Bucs for a $96MM payroll next year. That’s tiny compared to the other clubs in the league but high for them. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, they got to just under $100MM in 2016 but have been below $90MM since 2017.

The coming weeks and months will shed light on if there’s more to come. For now, the Bucs have made yet another move to upgrade the lineup in 2026. This wouldn’t be an especially noteworthy commitment for any other club but it’s the biggest deal for Pittsburgh in quite some time. For O’Hearn himself, it’s got to be an especially gratifying day for a guy who was passed through waivers about three years ago.

Photos courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, John Jones, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/pirates-to-sign-ryan-ohearn.html
 
Players In DFA Limbo

When a team designates a player for assignment, he is removed from that club’s 40-man roster. The team then has a period of time with some ability to impact what is next for that player. This is colloquially referred to as “DFA limbo”.

The team can trade the player to another club, unless the trade deadline has passed and the new offseason has not yet begun. The team can also place the player on outright or release waivers. This limbo period can last as long as seven days. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the team has a maximum of five days to work out a trade.

Or at least that’s the case for most of the year. It’s different around the holidays, with several instances in recent years of players being in DFA limbo for longer than two weeks. For instance, catcher Sam Huff was designated for assignment by the Rangers on December 23rd of 2024. He stayed in DFA limbo until he was claimed off waivers by the Giants on January 8th of 2025, 16 days later.

There has never been an official announcement made about what the rules are but it’s clear there’s some sort of freeze on the DFA clock around the holidays in late December and early January.

In this morning’s edition of The Opener, MLBTR mentioned two players who had been designated for assignment on December 17th, expecting those situations to be resolved today. There have been no updates as of the publication of this post. It’s possible the situations have been resolved but just haven’t been reported publicly because of media/communications people taking time off for the holidays. It’s also possible that those players have had their DFA clocks frozen and will remain in limbo into January.

Below is a list of players who have been designated for assignment in the past week without resolution, listed chronologically.

December 17th


December 19th


December 20th


December 22nd


December 23rd


Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/players-in-dfa-limbo.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: Three-Way Trade, Murakami’s Short-Term Deal, And Willson Contreras To Boston

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Check out our past episodes!

  • The Mets Sign Jorge Polanco, And The Braves, Blue Jays And Royals Make Moves – listen here
  • Winter Meetings Recap – listen here
  • An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...erm-deal-and-willson-contreras-to-boston.html
 
Several Teams Interested In Yoán Moncada

Infielder Yoán Moncada is currently a free agent after playing out a one year, $5MM deal with the Angels. He was an above-average hitter in 84 games in 2025 but missed time due to right thumb and right knee injuries. According to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, several teams have expressed early interest in signing Moncada, including the Angels, Pirates, White Sox, and Blue Jays.

The 30-year-old originally signed with the Red Sox out of Cuba for a $31.5MM bonus in February 2015. He made his debut late in 2016 before being traded to the White Sox as their key return for Chris Sale. Moncada had a 105 wRC+ in 231 plate appearances in 2017 but fell below average in his first full season in 2018. He broke out in 2019 with a .315/.367/.548 batting line in 559 PA, along with 25 home runs. Granted, the ball was juiced that year, but Moncada’s output was still 39% better than average by wRC+. The White Sox were confident enough to give him a five-year, $70MM extension in March 2020, which covered the 2020-24 seasons and contained a club option for 2025.

Moncada slumped during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, posting a 94 wRC+ while seeing a drop in power and spending two weeks on the injured list. He rebounded in 2021 with a line of .263/.375/.412 and a 120 wRC+. The power wasn’t quite back to his 2019 levels, though he looked like a more mature hitter overall, dropping his strikeout rate to 25.5% while posting a career-best 13.6% walk rate.

Unfortunately, Moncada has struggled with injuries and inconsistency ever since. From 2022-24, he batted .236/.291/.387 with an 88 wRC+ while playing in just 206 out of 486 possible games. In 2024, he spent most of the season on the 60-day IL with a left abductor strain, making just 45 plate appearances with a 118 wRC+. After the season, the club declined their $25MM club option on Moncada in lieu of a $5MM buyout, making him a free agent.

This year with the Angels, he had a 117 wRC+ in 289 PA over 84 games. His strikeout rate of 26.0% was high, while his 11.1% walk rate was better than average. His .214 ISO was his highest since his 2019 breakout season, as was his .448 slugging percentage. Although he is nominally a switch-hitter, most of his damage came as a lefty facing right-handed pitching. He posted 125 wRC+ in 262 PA against righties, but just a 37 wRC+ in 27 PA against southpaws. Meanwhile, both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average saw Moncada as a liability at third base. His -13 OAA was worst in the league among third baseman with at least 300 defensive innings.

Altogether, Moncada showed above average offense but was weighed down by injuries and newfound defensive struggles. As a free agent, he is more or less in the same position as last offseason, with a one-year deal being his most likely outcome. The current market has Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez as the top options at third base. Kazuma Okamoto is still available, with his posting window closing on January 4. The next-best options after that are utility players, so teams needing an everyday third baseman could look to Moncada as a low-cost flier.

Among the clubs with reported interest, the Angels might be the best fit. Anthony Rendon is expected to retire after an injury-riddled tenure in Los Angeles. After Moncada, Luis Rengifo got the most time at the hot corner in 2025, though he is a now a free agent. The club acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom from the Red Sox earlier this month, and he has not played third base in his big-league career. Another one-year deal with Moncada would fill the third-base vacancy and set Grissom up to compete for second base time, where the incumbent Christian Moore was unimpressive offensively in 2025.

Looking at the Pirates, the team traded Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds in July and saw Isiah Kiner-Falefa claimed by the Blue Jays in August. Jared Triolo played 260 1/3 innings at the hot corner, but he is more of a multi-positional player and did not hit as well as Moncada. The club is interested in signing Okamoto, but Moncada could be a fallback option for them.

The White Sox recently signed Munetaka Murakami to play first base and have Miguel Vargas as the projected starter at third. Moncada would be an offensive upgrade over Vargas if the club limits his exposure to left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are known to be interested in signing Bregman. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger are already on the roster if he signs elsewhere. Both are average hitters, while Clement is an excellent defender at third (11 DRS in 2025), so they are a more curious fit for Moncada.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/several-teams-interested-in-yoan-moncada.html
 
Pirates Interested In Eugenio Suarez

The Pirates have already added several new bats to their lineup, but the team isn’t done in its search for more offense. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates are interested in Eugenio Suarez, though Mackey has doubts that the club will be able to win the bidding for the veteran slugger.

The fit is obvious, as Pittsburgh finished 30th of 30 teams in home runs (117), slugging percentage (.350), and isolated power (.119). Suarez finished fifth in the majors in both homers (49) and isolated power (.248), and his .526 SLG ranked 10th among all qualified batters. In terms of pure offensive production, Suarez was dragged down by a .228 batting average and .298 on-base percentage, and he continued to post one of the higher strikeout rates of any batter in the game.

Suarez’s 2025 production fell off drastically after the deadline trade that sent him from the Diamondbacks to the Mariners. Though he posted bigger numbers in a prior stint in Seattle and Suarez’s strikeouts have made him prone to streaky play, seeing Suarez decline so sharply after moving to a pitcher-friendly ballpark must be a concern for the Pirates about how Suarez might fare at PNC Park. Suarez is also 34 years old, so a steadier decline phase is a risk for signing a player of his age to a multi-year contract.

MLB Trade Rumors placed Suarez 20th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and projected him to sign a three-year, $63MM free agent deal. While Suarez’s age, one-dimensional offense, and increasingly shaky third base defense were considered in the projection, the fact is that Suarez’s pure power is hard to find. Suarez’s well-regarded reputation as a clubhouse leader is another plus for a young Pirates team that can use some experience on and off the field.

As often mentioned when discussing the Pirates and any target on the open market, Francisco Liriano’s three-year, $39MM from December 2014 remains the largest contract the Bucs have ever given to a free agent. Ryan O’Hearn’s two-year, $29MM deal from a couple of weeks ago at least approached that dubious record, and the Pirates’ nine-figure bid on Kyle Schwarber from earlier this winter indicates that Pittsburgh is willing to stretch its limited budget to try and solve its offensive woes.

Between the O’Hearn signing and the trades that brought Brandon Lowe, Jhostynxon García, and Jake Mangum into the black-and-gold, the Bucs have already done quite a bit to bolster their league-worst offense. Installing Suarez at third base would be the biggest move yet, and the fact that Suarez’s market has seemed a little limited to date might work in the Pirates’ favor.

The Mariners, Red Sox, and Cubs are the only teams known to be interested in Suarez, though any number of other clubs might be on the periphery. Seattle has enough other third base candidates that it seemed their interest in hot corner help is limited to Suarez specifically, while the Sox and Cubs are two of Alex Bregman’s suitors. Kazuma Okamoto was known to be one of Pittsburgh’s prime targets, but the third baseman instead signed with the Blue Jays, leaving the Pirates perhaps more likely to make a run at Suarez.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/pirates-interested-in-eugenio-suarez.html
 
Orioles Designate Jhonkensy Noel For Assignment

The Orioles announced that they have claimed outfielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Pirates, a move which was previously reported. To open a 40-man spot, outfielder Jhonkensy Noel has been designated for assignment. The O’s also announced that left-hander Josh Walker, who was designated for assignment last month, has cleared waivers and been sent to Triple-A Norfolk.

Noel, 24, was just claimed off waivers two days ago. It may seem strange to acquire a player and then immediately cut him from the roster but this sequence of events is becoming more common in baseball and the Orioles are one of the more aggressive teams in attempting it. The ideal outcome for the team is that the player eventually clears waivers and stays in the organization as depth without taking up a roster spot.

Baltimore fans should be familiar with the upside of the move. The O’s acquired Ryan O’Hearn from the Royals in January of 2023. He was designated for assignment two days later and cleared waivers. A few months after that, he hit his way back onto the roster and was a productive member of the club for over two years.

Up until he was claimed by the Orioles, Noel had spent his entire career with the Guardians. With that club, he has shown huge power potential but also a poor approach at the plate. He has 351 big league plate appearances to this point with 19 home runs but his 4.8% walk rate and 32.8% strikeout rate are both awful numbers. Despite the long balls, he has a .193/.242/.401 batting line and 79 wRC+, indicating he’s been 21% worse than the league average hitter.

He exhausted his final option season in 2025, which has pushed him into fringe roster territory. The Guards nudged him off and the O’s scooped him up. He’s now back into DFA limbo again, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the O’s could field trade interest for the next five days, but the Guards weren’t able to line up a trade in the previous weeks. Most likely, Noel will be back on the waiver wire.

Despite the rough major league results, he could draw interest from the raw power and also his better minor league numbers. Over the past two years, he has stepped to the plate 536 times at Triple-A. His 7.5% walk rate and 23.7% strikeout rate at that level are still not great but much closer to average. That’s helped him put up a .285/.349/.538 line and 130 wRC+.

If some other club scoops him up, Noel has just over a year of big league service time. That means he can be controlled for five full seasons and is still two years away from an arbitration raise. If he clears waivers, the O’s can keep him. Since he doesn’t have three years of service nor a previous career outright, he doesn’t have the right to reject an outright assignment.

The situation with Walker is somewhat similar. The O’s claimed him off waivers from the Phillies in August. The O’s then signed him to a major league deal in November. Salary terms of that pact haven’t been reported but it presumably pays Walker something slightly above the $780K league minimum, since he still hasn’t qualified for arbitration.

He was designated for assignment two days later. Like with the O’Hearn and Noel situations, the O’s were hoping Walker would clear waivers and stick with the club in a non-roster capacity. It didn’t work initially, as Atlanta claimed him. But that club designated him for assignment a few weeks later, which allowed the Orioles to claim him back. The O’s then tried again, designating Walker for assignment once more on December 19th.

DFA limbo normally only lasts a week at most, but there are different rules around the holidays, so Walker lingered in the ether for a few weeks. Today, he finally has clarity on his status. While he probably isn’t glad to lose his roster spot, he now at least knows which spring training location he’ll be reporting to.

Walker will try to win in the Baltimore bullpen at some point in 2026. His major league track record isn’t amazing, as he has a 6.59 earned run average in 27 1/3 innings. However, he just posted some intriguing minor league numbers in 2025. Split between the Blue Jays, Phillies and Orioles, he logged 42 2/3 Triple-A frames. His 4.64 ERA in that sample isn’t too exciting but he struck out 24.1% of batters faced and got grounders on 52.1% of balls in play.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/orioles-designate-jhonkensy-noel-for-assignment.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: Contracts For Imai And Okamoto, And Thoughts On The Pirates And Giants

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Check out our past episodes!


The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026...o-and-thoughts-on-the-pirates-and-giants.html
 
Pirates, Chris Devenski Agree To Minor League Deal

The Pirates are in agreement with reliever Chris Devenski on a minor league contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. That presumably includes a Spring Training invite for the Suarez & Associates client.

Devenski was on and off the Mets’ active roster a few times throughout the 2025 season. The 35-year-old righty made it into 13 games overall, allowing four runs across 16 2/3 innings. He struck out 14 against five walks. Devenski also managed solid numbers with Triple-A Syracuse, where he pitched 37 2/3 frames of 3.35 ERA ball. He attacked the zone while posting a slightly below-average 21% strikeout rate at both levels.

That’s now 10 straight seasons in which the former 25th-round draft pick has pitched at the MLB level. Devenski was an All-Star in his second season as a member of the Astros. He has spent the majority of his career as a well-traveled long reliever. If he gets to the big leagues in Pittsburgh, they’d be his seventh MLB team. Devenski’s 92 MPH fastball velocity is below average, so he leans on a plus changeup as his most frequent offering.

There’s opportunity for Devenski to win a job out of camp. Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto, Isaac Mattson, and Justin Lawrence are locked into the Opening Day bullpen. They’ll hope that hard-throwing lefty Mason Montgomery — acquired from Tampa Bay as part of the Mike Burrows trade — locks down a job in Spring Training as well. That’d still leave as many as three bullpen roles up for grabs. Yohan Ramírez is out of options, but he’s a journeyman signed for barely more than the league minimum. Carmen Mlodzinski still has an option remaining, as do potential fifth starters Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/pirates-chris-devenski-agree-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
Pirates To Designate Chase Shugart For Assignment

The Pirates are designating reliever Chase Shugart for assignment, reports Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. They needed to create a 40-man roster spot for Ryan O’Hearn, whose two-year free agent contract was finalized this afternoon.

Pittsburgh acquired the 29-year-old Shugart in a minor trade with the Red Sox last offseason. The Texas product had only six games of MLB experience at the time. He made it into 35 contests in his first and potentially only season as a Pirate. Shugart managed a solid 3.40 earned run average across 45 innings. That came with well below-average strikeout (17.1%) and ground-ball (33.3%) marks, and the majority of his outings came in low-leverage situations.

The Bucs kept Shugart on the active roster for most of the season’s first half. He went on the injured list with left knee inflammation shortly before the All-Star Break. That cost him more than a month, and the team optioned him to Triple-A shortly after he returned. He only made three MLB appearances in the second half.

Shugart sits in the 94-95 MPH range with his four-seam fastball and sinker. He has a pair of breaking pitches, a low-80s sweeper and a cutter that sits around 90 MPH. It hasn’t led to many whiffs against big league hitters, but he has posted slightly better than average strikeout numbers in the minors. He also has better control than most up-and-down relievers.

There’s a decent chance he’ll get him some attention on the waiver wire. Shugart has one year of big league service time and has one minor league option remaining. The Pirates will trade him or put him on waivers within the next five days.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/pirates-to-designate-chase-shugart-for-assignment.html
 
Orioles Claim Marco Luciano

The Orioles have claimed outfielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Pirates, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. The Bucs designated him for assignment last month. The O’s will need to make a corresponding move to open a 40-man spot.

DFA limbo is normally capped at one week but the rules are clearly different around the holidays, even if the specifics of the exceptions aren’t publicly known. Luciano was bumped off Pittsburgh’s roster on December 19th, almost three weeks ago.

The 24-year-old Luciano was once one of the top prospects in baseball. The Giants gave him a $2.6MM signing bonus in 2018 as an international amateur out of the Dominican Republic. He flashed huge power potential from the shortstop position and Baseball America ranked him the #12 prospect in the league in 2021. Since then, his glovework tailed off to the extent that he was moved to left field, putting more pressure on him to provide value with the bat. Unfortunately, significant strikeout issues have plagued him since reaching the upper levels of the minors.

He has taken 939 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level over the past two years. His 16% walk rate in that sample is massive but he’s also been punched out at a 29.1% clip, leading to a .229/.354/.400 line and 101 wRC+. He also has 126 big league plate appearances with a 35.7% strikeout rate, 8.7% walk rate, .217/.286/.304 line and 68 wRC+.

Luciano exhausted his final option season last year, pushing him to a fringe roster position. The Giants put him on waivers in early December. The Pirates scooped him up but he was nudged off their roster a few weeks later.

The Orioles are one of the most aggressive clubs when it comes to claiming players off waivers, often putting the same players back on the wire later on. The ideal outcome in that scenario is that the player stays in the organization without taking up a roster spot. He can then be retained as depth and be added back to the roster if he earns a spot.

The best-case scenario in that situation is Ryan O’Hearn. The O’s acquired him from the Royals in January of 2023 and then designated him for assignment a few days later. He cleared waivers but eventually hit his way back onto the roster and was a productive member of the club for over two years.

That is perhaps the plan with Luciano, as it’s hard to see a path for him earning a regular role on the current roster. The Orioles have an outfield mix consisting of Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill, Jeremiah Jackson, Leody Taveras, Heston Kjerstad, Reed Trimble and Jhonkensy Noel. The designated hitter spot doesn’t provide much relief as the O’s are likely going to have Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo sharing the catching duties. There’s also the first base group consisting of Pete Alonso, Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle, which should spill into the DH spot.

Luciano has fewer than three years of service time and hasn’t been outrighted in his career. That means he would not have the right to elect free agency if he eventually clears outright waivers. That may be his fate with the Orioles or some other club but he gets a roster spot for now after a long holiday in limbo.

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/orioles-claim-marco-luciano.html
 
Pirates Open To Adding Left Side Infielder, Rotation Depth

The Pirates finalized their two-year deal with Ryan O’Hearn on Thursday. That signing paired with the Brandon Lowe trade gives the Bucs a couple of middle-of-the-order bats from the left side.

General manager Ben Cherington spoke with reporters at O’Hearn’s introductory press conference and highlighted two areas the team is still looking to add. “If we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for. We’ll remain opportunistic in the outfield, see what comes our way,” the GM said (link via Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Cherington also said they’d like to “add back” to the pitching staff after they dealt Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo in the respective Lowe and Jhostynxon Garcia trades.

The left side of the infield is an expected target. Pittsburgh was involved on NPB third baseman Kazuma Okamoto before he signed a four-year contract with Toronto. They’ve been loosely linked to Eugenio Suárez, the second-best available free agent at the position after Alex Bregman. If Suárez’s asking price also proves too rich, the Bucs could look to a one-year deal for Yoán Moncada, Willi Castro or Ramón Urías.

It’d be more difficult to find an everyday answer at shortstop. There aren’t any free agent options beyond Bo Bichette, assuming they’re not interested in an Isiah Kiner-Falefa reunion. There hasn’t been any kind of trade market at the position. The Pirates would only be interested in a stopgap anyway. Konnor Griffin is arguably the best prospect in baseball. Pittsburgh hasn’t closed the door on him forcing his way to the big leagues out of Spring Training even though he only has 21 games of Double-A experience. Even if that’s too ambitious a timeline, he figures to be up at some point in 2026.

Unless Griffin breaks camp, they’re projected for a Nick Gonzales/Jared Triolo pairing on the left side. Gonzales is a former top 10 pick but has a middling .257/.300/.375 batting line in parts of three seasons. He’s miscast as a shortstop. Gonzales was drafted as a second baseman and has mostly played the keystone with varying reviews from scouts and defensive metrics. He has 230 MLB innings at shortstop and has only started one game at third base.

Adding a third baseman would allow the Bucs to use Triolo as their stopgap shortstop. The 27-year-old is a better defender at third base but has more shortstop experience than Gonzales. He also has the superior defensive grades as a second baseman. Triolo has a similarly light bat, carrying a .236/.320/.347 slash in three seasons. A strong second half (.276/.353/.422) has earned him multiple votes of confidence from Cherington, yet he’s not going to firmly stand in the way of an upgrade.

Suárez might be the only clear improvement on the free agent market among realistic targets for the Bucs. There’s still time for a late-offseason trade opportunity to present itself. The Phillies run at Bichette, for instance, would almost certainly lead to an Alec Bohm trade if a deal comes together.

Left field doesn’t seem to be as big a priority. Pittsburgh acquired Garcia and Jake Mangum via trade. O’Hearn has the ability to work as a semi-regular corner outfielder on top of his first base/DH split alongside Spencer Horwitz. Lowe has outfield experience as well, though Cherington said he’ll work as the primary second baseman. Pittsburgh also tendered a contract to Jack Suwinski, so he’s still in the mix as a depth piece.

Any rotation pickup is likely to be on a one-year deal late in the winter. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler are locked into the rotation. Braxton Ashcraft should be in there as well, though he worked in a swing role last season and only once pitched beyond five innings in a start. Rookies Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington would compete for the fifth starter role. Carmen Mlodzinski could get another look as a starter but struggled in that role early last season and worked 2-3 inning stints in the second half. Jared Jones will hopefully be back from elbow surgery by the All-Star Break.

There’s plenty of talent, but only Skenes and Keller are established sources of innings. Pittsburgh generally signs a fifth starter to a one-year contract worth $8MM or less. That’s often a soft-tossing lefty whom they can get for cheap and rely on PNC Park — the most difficult for right-handed home run power — to get decent results. Jose Quintana, Tyler Anderson, Martín Pérez, Andrew Heaney and trade pickup Bailey Falter have all fallen in that bucket. Quintana, Anderson, Pérez and Patrick Corbin are speculative possibilities this offseason.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026...o-add-left-side-infielder-rotation-depth.html
 
Pirates Sign Noah Davis To Minor League Deal

The Pirates signed Noah Davis to a minor league deal earlier this week, as per Davis’ MLB.com profile page. The right-hander elected minor league free agency in October, qualifying for the status due to multiple career outright assignments and not being added back to the Twins’ 40-man roster after being outrighted in September.

After making his MLB debut in the form of a single inning of work for the Rockies during the 2022 season, Davis has now played in each of the last four Major League seasons, albeit with not a ton more playing time than that initial cup-of-coffee appearance. Davis has 27 games and 62 1/3 innings under his belt, with a 9.53 ERA, 18.5% strikeout rate, and 9.2% walk rate.

A lot of the damage has come from the long ball, as Davis has given up a whopping 17 home runs in his 62 1/3 IP. Ten of those 17 homers came during Davis’ three seasons in Colorado, and he then allowed seven more runs over 11 innings with the Dodgers and Twins in 2025. The right-hander actually began the 2025 season with the Red Sox on a minor league contract, but Los Angeles swung a trade for Davis in late March, and then designated him for assignment in July. Minnesota then claimed Davis off waivers but things didn’t do any better for the righty in Minnesota, and he finished his 2025 campaign an 18.00 ERA.

Now entering his age-29 season, Davis also doesn’t have great numbers in Triple-A or even in Double-A, though 2025 marked the first time he’d been utilized almost exclusively as a reliever. The results were better, with Davis posting a 3.88 ERA, 26K%, and 11.5BB% across 48 2/3 innings and 35 appearances with the Dodgers’ and Twins’ Triple-A affiliates.

While this improvement hasn’t translated to success against big league batters, Davis’ possible upside as a reliever was enough to get the Pirates interested in a look during Spring Training. Between Pittsburgh’s recent success in producing arms and new pitching coach Bill Murphy’s track record with the Astros, there’s some reason to believe Davis might be a late bloomer with some help from the Buccos’ pitching development team.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/pirates-sign-noah-davis-to-minor-league-deal.html
 
Dave Giusti Passes Away

Former big league right-hander Dave Giusti has passed away, the Pirates announced this morning. He was 86 years old.

“We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in this morning’s press release. “He was a vital member of our World Series winning team in 1971 and spent seven of his 15 big-league seasons with the Pirates before eventually making Pittsburgh his home. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, Ginny, his daughters, Laura and Cynthia, and the entire Giusti family.”

Giusti made his major league debut in 1962 — his age-22 campaign — with the Houston Colt .45s and posted an inauspicious 5.62 earned run average through his first 73 2/3 innings. He didn’t pitch in the majors in ’63 and logged only 25 2/3 MLB frames in ’64. In 1965, he established himself as a member of Houston’s staff, tossing 131 1/3 innings with a 4.32 ERA. That was a ways higher than the 3.50 league average at that time (77 ERA+, 125 ERA-), but it kicked off a run of four seasons that saw Giusti log regular work as a starter in Houston. From 1965-68, he pitched a combined 814 innings with a 3.90 ERA.

Houston traded Giusti to the Cardinals in the 1968-69 offseason. The Cardinals lost him to the Padres in October 1968’s expansion draft, only to reacquire him two months later. He spent one season with the Cards (3.61 ERA, 99 2/3 innings) before being traded to the Pirates, with whom he’d make his lone All-Star team, tally three separate top-10 finishes in National League Cy Young voting, and win a World Series.

Giusti had been almost exclusively a starting pitcher over his final seasons in Houston, but he made only one start with Pittsburgh in 1970 and only three over his seven seasons in black and gold. Giusti transitioned near seamlessly to relief at a time when doing so wasn’t nearly as common as it is in today’s game. He saved 26 games for the Pirates in 1970, pitching 103 innings with a 3.61 ERA along the way.

Over the next several years, Giusti was a pivotal endgame arm for the Bucs. He saved a career-high 30 games in 1971, pitching to a 2.93 ERA in 86 regular-season frames before tossing 10 1/3 shutout innings during the playoffs as the Pirates went on to win the World Series. Overall, Giusti pitched 618 regular-season innings with the Pirates from 1970-76, piling up 133 saves and a recording a tidy 2.94 earned run average along the way.

The Pirates traded Giusti to the A’s in the 1976-77 offseason — part of a nine-player swap that included notable names like Phil Garner, Rick Langford and Tony Armas. Giusti pitched 85 2/3 innings between the A’s and Cubs, working to a 3.89 ERA in the 15th and final season of his major league career.

Giusti retired with a career 100-93 record, 145 saves, a 3.60 ERA and 1103 strikeouts in 1716 2/3 innings pitched. He won a World Series with the Pirates in ’71, made the All-Star team in ’73, garnered MVP votes in ’70 (sixth) and ’71 (14th), and drew Cy Young votes in ’70 (fourth), ’73 (seventh) and ’74 (ninth).

Fans of Giusti will want to check out Jason Mackey’s tribute to him over at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, wherein former teammates Milt May and Steve Blass discuss the right-hander’s transition to the bullpen, the efficacy of his signature palmball, and the never-give-in mentality that made him such a natural fit for high-leverage spots late in the game. We at MLBTR extend our condolences to Giusti’s family, friends, former teammates and the countless fans he amassed over a lengthy and successful big league career.
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/dave-giusti-passes-away.html
 
Phillies Acquire Chase Shugart

The Phillies announced that they have acquired right-hander Chase Shugart from the Pirates. Pittsburgh receives minor league infielder Francisco Loreto in return. The Bucs had designated Shugart for assignment last week to open a 40-man spot for Ryan O’Hearn. Philly had a 40-man vacancy but their roster is now full.

Shugart, 29, has tossed 53 2/3 innings in his career. The majority of that was with the Pirates in 2025, plus a brief stint with the Red Sox in 2024. Combined, he has allowed 3.52 earned runs per nine with an 18% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. He has averaged around 95 miles per hour with his four-seamer and sinker while also throwing a cutter, sweeper and changeup.

He has flashed a bit more upside in the minors. Last year, for instance, he tossed 20 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 1.74 ERA. He struck out 25.3% of opponents, limited walks to a 7.6% clip and induced grounders on 54.7% of balls in play. He still has an option remaining, so the Phils can shuttle him between Philly and Triple-A Lehigh Valley throughout the 2026 season. If he still has a roster spot at the end of the season, he can be retained into the future via arbitration.

In order to add that depth, Philly is parting with a prospect. Loreto, 18, was part of Philadelphia’s international signing class in 2024. Initially listed as a catcher when he signed out of Venezuela, he primarily played third base in 2025. He spent last year in the Florida Complex League and slashed .237/.332/.396. He doesn’t appear on top prospect lists but the Pirates are likely pleased just to get a lottery ticket as the return for a guy they had already bumped off the roster.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/phillies-acquire-chase-shugart.html
 
Where Can The Pirates Turn For Another Bat?

The Pirates clearly entered the 2025-26 offseason with ambitious goals. They've spoken in the past about wanting to lure more free agents and make impact additions in the lineup, but both comments from Pittsburgh brass and the reporting surrounding their early offseason endeavors struck a different tenor. The Pirates' reported willingness to offer Josh Naylor in the vicinity of $80MM was a genuine surprise, given the lack of spending to which we've become accustomed from owner Bob Nutting. The reported $120-125MM offer to Kyle Schwarber -- which would've been the largest deal in franchise history -- was even more of an eye-opener.

Ultimately, finishing second-, third- or fourth-place on a pair of notable free agents has the same end result as sitting out the bidding entirely, but it was nevertheless notable that the Bucs came out swinging. It appeared to set the stage for a more aggressive offseason than usual, and to an extent, we've seen that. Ryan O'Hearn's two-year, $29MM contract isn't a major price to pay for most clubs, but it was the first multiyear free-agent deal given out by Pittsburgh since 2016. Acquiring Brandon Lowe, similarly, wasn't necessarily a blockbuster move in and of itself, but it's a higher-profile trade target than we typically see from the Bucs. Their trade of Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox netted them a fairly touted young outfielder, Jhostynxon Garcia, who could be in the majors early in 2026.

The additions of Lowe and O'Hearn add a pair of clearly above-average bats to Pittsburgh's lineup. They'll join Spencer Horwitz, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz atop the lineup. Horwitz was last year's primary offensive acquisition, and while his contributions were muted by a spring wrist procedure and a slow start upon activation in June, by the end of the season he looked the part of a quietly excellent pickup. Horwitz hit .272/.353/.434 overall, but that includes a dismal start to his season. Over his final 298 trips to the plate, he slashed .290/.372/.481 with nearly as many walks (11.4%) as strikeouts (15.1%). From late July through season's end (219 PAs), he slashed .314/.402/.539 with a 12.3% walk rate and 13.7% strikeout rate.

The quintet of Horwitz, O'Hearn, Lowe, Reynolds and Cruz has the makings of a solid top half of the lineup -- particularly if Reynolds can set aside last year's awful first half. Through the All-Star break, the Pirates' star outfielder was hitting just .225/.287/.369 (80 wRC+). Following the Midsummer Classic, he turned in a .276/.364/.453 line (128 wRC+) that's more akin to expectations for the 30-year-old former All-Star (who'll turn 31 later this month).

Add in the looming debut of Konnor Griffin, the top-ranked prospect in all of baseball, and you can start to see why Pirates fans are showing some cautious optimism. Griffin may only be 19 years old, but he skyrocketed from Low-A to High-A to Double-A in his debut season last year, posting an outrageous .333/.415/.527 line with 21 home runs and 65 steals despite being one of the youngest -- if not the youngest -- player at each of those minor league stops. The No. 9 overall pick from 2024 could make his MLB debut this coming season, and there's been speculation about him having a real chance to crack the Opening Day roster. There's a lot to dream on for Bucs fans, but the Pirates still feel like they're one bat short.

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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/01/pirates-rumors-trade-free-agency-another-bat.html
 
RIP to Dave Giusti, man. That '71 World Series team was something special and he was a huge part of it. 145 career saves and a 2.94 ERA during his Pirates years - the guy was LIGHTS OUT before closers were even really a thing. Respect.

Now onto the fun stuff - I gotta say, I'm actually impressed with what Cherington has been doing this offseason. Yeah yeah, I know, "finishing second on Schwarber doesn't count" but hear me out - the fact that Nutting was even WILLING to offer $120M+ is wild for this franchise. That's progress whether you like it or not.

The Lowe trade is solid. O'Hearn gives you a legitimate lefty bat. And if Griffin is even HALF as good as advertised, this lineup suddenly looks pretty dangerous. Cruz, Reynolds bouncing back, Horwitz raking in the second half... there's real potential here.

My concern is still the rotation depth. Skenes is a monster obviously, Keller is reliable, but after that? You're banking on a lot of young arms staying healthy. Chandler, Ashcraft, Barco, Harrington - talented but unproven. And Jared Jones coming back from elbow surgery mid-season? That's optimistic at best.

If they can snag Suarez at third and add a veteran arm like Quintana or Anderson on a cheap deal, this team could legitimately compete for a Wild Card. The NL Central is there for the taking if they want it.

Also that Noah Davis signing is whatever - typical minor league depth move. Nothing to get excited about but nothing to complain about either.
 
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