The Pittsburgh Pirates could be in line for a notable addition this offseason, with Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly projecting them to land former All-Star first baseman Ty France on a two-year, $36 million contract.
Kelly pointed to the club’s financial flexibility as part of the case. “The Pirates have more than $20 million coming off the books from 2026, just between Brandon Lowe (who has a qualifying offer to decide on) and Marcell Ozuna,” Kelly wrote. “A portion of that could be reallocated to France, in hopes that he can help them build on their first winning season since 2018.”
France’s résumé still carries real weight, even after a rough stretch. He was a key bat for the Seattle Mariners across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, putting up 7.2 bWAR, 38 home runs and 156 RBIs with a .283/.353/.440 slash line while earning an All-Star selection in 2022.
Since then, though, his production has dipped. From 2023 through 2025, France posted 1.3 bWAR and a .686 OPS over 436 games with the Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays.
That downturn pushed him into a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training from the San Diego Padres last offseason. It was a return to familiar ground for France, who grew up in Southern California, played at San Diego State University and was drafted by the Padres in the 34th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
France debuted with San Diego in 2019 before being traded to Seattle during the 2020 season. Once he cracked the Padres’ Opening Day roster, he made the most of it, appearing in 133 games and hitting .295/.363/.502 with a career-high 21 home runs and 4.5 bWAR as San Diego reached the playoffs for the third straight year.
There’s still a case for his value now. France won the American League Gold Glove at first base in 2025 and was a finalist for the award in the National League this year, though Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves took the honor. He also hit .853 against left-handed pitching in 2026, which would fit a Pirates lineup that tied for the eighth-worst wRC+ in the majors against lefties this past season at 92.
Defensively, Pittsburgh could use the help too. The Pirates finished with -5 Defensive Runs Saved and -4 Outs Above Average at first base, and France’s glove would look good on paper there after his 15 DRS and seven OAA in 2026.
Even so, the fit is far from clean. France’s 2026 numbers stand out as the outlier in his recent offensive track record, but his longer resume still includes a 127 OPS+ from 2020 to 2022 and a 114 wRC+ for his career.
The bigger issue for Pittsburgh is roster construction. The Pirates already have multiple first-base options, led by Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn, with Jacob Gonzalez, Rafael Flores Jr., Jared Triolo and even Esmerlyn Valdez also able to handle the position.
France is a useful player, but with other needs on the board and a front office that is not eager to spend aggressively, a multi-year commitment in the range Kelly projected would be a questionable use of resources.
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The trouble now is that the offseason does not offer an easy fix. Right-handed bats are not exactly flooding the free-agent market, and the Pirates may have to get creative if they want to change the shape of the lineup. The most obvious path would be to use pitching depth to get there, but moving young arms would come with its own cost, which leaves Pittsburgh with a familiar winter dilemma and one glaring flaw still hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
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Menas appeal goes beyond the setting. He trimmed his walk rate during the regular season and has carried that improved control into the AFL, even if the home run issue has been a little more noticeable. For a Pirates club always looking for bullpen help wherever it can find it, that mix of command and versatility is at least enough to keep his name in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]