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The Pirates took a step back in 2025 and fired manager Derek Shelton early in the season. He was replaced by his bench coach, Don Kelly, who’ll take over in the dugout into 2026 and beyond. General manager Ben Cherington’s job status prompted plenty of speculation, but he’ll be back for 2026 as well. Can the Pirates finally turn things around?
Guaranteed Contracts
Total 2026 commitments: $30.5MMTotal long-term commitments: $130.5MM through 2030
Option Decisions
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
Free Agents
The Pirates have drawn increasing levels of praise for their excellent core of young pitching, headlined by likely NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, but the team’s collection of bats is miles behind its impressive stable of arms. Anemic offense proved to be Pittsburgh’s downfall yet again in 2025. The Pirates scored just 583 runs — last in the majors and nearly 300 fewer than the MLB-leading Yankees’ mark of 849. Pittsburgh hitters connected on just 117 homers — a whopping 31 long balls behind the 29th-ranked Cardinals. The Pirates’ lineup ranked 28th in batting average, 23rd in OBP and dead last in slugging percentage.
Addressing such widespread offensive deficiency isn’t an easy task. Cherington’s job security was the source of considerable speculation late in the year. He’ll be back for 2026, but with Shelton out the door and owner Bob Nutting calling for “urgency” — a rich declaration from an owner who hasn’t signed a free agent to a multi-year deal in a decade — there’s mounting pressure for the sixth-year Pittsburgh GM to bolster the lineup in support of a strong pitching staff.
Even coming off a last-place finish, the Pirates seem far likelier to add to the roster than subtract. That doesn’t mean there won’t be some veteran Buccos available via trade — there very likely will be — but such trades will be aimed at acquiring young, MLB-ready hitters who can augment a lineup that’s badly in need of an overhaul. Let’s run through the roster and some possibilities.
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