Paul Skenes went full Buddy the Elf for Halloween, spaghetti plate included, while Livvy Dunne matched as a Mrs. Butterworth's bottle. The Pirates ace closed 2026 with a 3.82 ERA and 200 strikeouts over 174.1 innings. Offseason mode: festive. 🎄
Derek Diamond, the Pirates' Kent Tekulve Reliever of the Year, went 7-0 with a 2.48 ERA and 57 strikeouts to nine walks in 58 innings. He's Rule 5 eligible, so Pittsburgh must add him to the 40-man roster by Nov. 17 or risk losing him. ⏳
Pirates offseason outlook: Brandon Lowe's free agency leaves a hole at second base, with Termarr Johnson an internal option. Pitching looks mostly set, though an extra reliever could make sense, and Gregory Soto is a free agent again. 🔍
Former Pirates slugger Josh Bell is officially a free agent and can sign with any MLB team this winter. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, finished another season outside the playoffs, closing with a 4-2 win over Detroit on September 27. 🔎
Seth Hernandez, the No. 1 prospect in PBN's Pirates Top 30, backs up the upside. The 2025 sixth overall pick went 3-0, 0.96 ERA at Low-A, then 3-1, 3.33 at High-A, before an oblique injury ended his year. He says he's 100% healthy. 🔥
Pirates could target free-agent lefty Patrick Sandoval, a cheap buy-low option, as budget-conscious Ben Cherington juggles Brandon Lowe and other needs. Sandoval's 5.12 ERA over 70 1/3 innings with Boston hides better underlying metrics. 🎯
Esmerlyn Valdez has recovered from the hamstring strain that cut short his September and will play winter ball for Escogido. After a 17-homer rookie year, he hit just .121 with a 40% strikeout rate outside July, so 2027 plans can't assume he's arrived. 🔍
Jim Bowden linked the Pirates to Brandon Lowe, Gleyber Torres, Daulton Varsho, Robbie Ray, Foster Griffin and Gregory Soto. Five are lefties, yet Pittsburgh went 18-33 against left-handed starters in 2026 and ranked last in MLB in AVG, OBP and SLG. 🤔
Brandon Lowe ranks among the top free-agent bats, and Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly says the Pirates should extend him the $23.15M qualifying offer. Accept, and they keep a good player; decline, and they get a re-sign window or pick compensation. 🎯
Former Pirates two-time All-Star David Bednar elected free agency from the Yankees on Oct. 29. He posted a 2.47 ERA with 35 saves in 64 games this year, so the market for the ex-Pittsburgh closer should be busy. 🔒
Pirates GM Ben Cherington says the club will focus on its own roster work while a lockout looms when the CBA expires Dec. 1. With a month between free agency and a possible freeze, he indicated Pittsburgh will be ready to act early, though he said it's a wait-and-see situation. ⏳
Pirates 1B prospect Tony Blanco Jr. (6-foot-7, 290) had his best year in 2026: 25 HR, .896 OPS in 84 games, mostly at High-A Greensboro. Raw power grades near the top of the minors; the next test is staying healthy after past hamstring injuries. 💪
Mitch Keller said he never felt fully healthy in 2026, a year that ended with a teres major injury, a 5.29 ERA and a 6-8 record. With $38.8 million still owed through 2028, the Pirates' choice not to trade him now looks costlier. 💸
Pirates could shop veterans this offseason, per one outlook. Mitch Keller (5.29 ERA, $18.4M in 2027) tops the list as a financial-flexibility play, while Carmen Mlodzinski's bullpen move and past comments could make him a different kind of trade candidate. 🔄
Wyatt Sanford, the Pirates' No. 5 prospect, is leading the Arizona Fall League group: .275, .814 OPS and a 454-foot homer on Oct. 23. Easton Carmichael is just 3-for-30 as nine Pirates prospects play for the league-worst Glendale Desert Dogs (6-14). 🌵
Edward Florentino slots No. 2 on PBN's Pirates prospect list. The 19-year-old hit 24 homers with High-A Greensboro, 27 total across levels, tied for most among teenage prospects, with a .358 OBP. The 26% strikeout rate and 10 steals keep it interesting. 💣
Re-signing Brandon Lowe and Gregory Soto could cost the Pirates about $67M, per Jim Bowden's projections (3 yrs/$45M and 2 yrs/$22M). That's heavy spending just to hold steady after an 82-80 season. Lowe's 35 HR make him the priority; Soto is the murkier call. 💰
Brandon Lowe, a pending free agent after hitting 35 homers (most among MLB second basemen) with 96 RBI for Pittsburgh, is pitched as a fit for Toronto's left-handed power need. It's speculation, but the Pirates' exclusive negotiating window just opened. 🔎
Jim Bowden projects Brandon Lowe at just three years, $45M (about $15M a year), well below Spotrac's $68.4M. If the market softens that much, Pittsburgh, listed among his best fits, would have little excuse not to re-sign its 35-homer second baseman. 💰
Pirates passed on Matt Arnold in 2019 and hired Ben Cherington. Arnold's Brewers just won the World Series, while Pittsburgh still awaits a postseason berth under Cherington. The bigger issue: Milwaukee built the small-market model Pittsburgh keeps chasing. 🔍
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