The Pirates spent 2026 moving in the right direction, but the finish line was still out of reach. Pittsburgh went 82-80, an 11-game jump from 2025, and turned in its first winning season since 2018. That wasn’t enough to end the 11-year playoff drought, though the season did give the front office plenty to point to as it heads into another offseason with real payroll questions and at least one major roster decision looming.
There’s a lot already locked in for the coming years. Konnor Griffin is under contract through 2032 at $134MM.
Bryan Reynolds is set at $62MM through 2030, including the buyout of his 2031 club option. Mitch Keller is on the books for $38MM through 2028, while Ryan O’Hearn and Luke Weaver are both signed through 2027, with Weaver’s deal carrying the note that the Mets are paying $6MM of the $11MM total.
Pittsburgh also has a $1.5MM buyout on Marcell Ozuna’s 2027 mutual option after he was released in August.
That adds up to $57.5MM in 2027 financial commitments and $256.5MM in total long-term commitments through 2032.
The arbitration bill is where things start to get interesting. The Pirates have a long list of eligible players who figure to push payroll upward, led by Paul Skenes at a projected $7.2MM and Oneil Cruz at $6.3MM.
Nick Gonzales is projected at $3.1MM, Jared Jones at $2.1MM, Jared Triolo at $1.8MM, Carmen Mlodzinski at $1.6MM, Yohan Ramírez at $1.5MM, Henry Davis at $1.4MM, Endy Rodríguez at $1.2MM and Spencer Horwitz at $2.5MM. Triolo stands out as a non-tender candidate.
Even with the financial squeeze, the on-field picture looks brighter than it has in a while. Pittsburgh’s rotation already had a strong foundation, and some of its young arms made it look even sturdier in 2026.
Griffin, the game’s top prospect, arrived at 19 and held his own, though an injury cost him a sizable stretch on the injured list. Behind the plate, the catcher carousel still isn’t completely over, but the club can at least see a path where that becomes less of a weekly issue.
The organization also appears set to keep its current leadership in place. General manager Ben Cherington is under contract through 2027, and while owner Bob Nutting has not definitively said he’ll see that deal through, Cherington said late in the season that his conversations with Nutting have centered on improving the team for 2027 and beyond. Manager Don Kelly is expected back as well after completing his first full season in charge in 2026.
A lot of the 2027 roster already looks mapped out. Griffin is back at shortstop.
Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn have first base and designated hitter covered, with O’Hearn also likely to spend time in the corner outfield spots. Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz and breakout slugger Esmerlyn Valdez make up the outfield core, while former top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia remains nearby.
Endy Rodriguez had been breaking out behind the plate before hip surgery ended his season, and Nick Gonzales just posted a career-best year at third base while also being able to move to second depending on what happens with Brandon Lowe, the club’s top free agent.
In Other News...
Pirates Face A Costly David Bednar Question This Offseason
David Bednars path out of Pittsburgh and into free agency has become one of the more interesting offseason subplots for a club that still needs to sharpen its roster in multiple places. The Pirates moved on from him after a rough start to the 2026 season, only to watch him settle in and finish strong, which makes the trade look a little more complicated now than it did in the moment. The prospects Pittsburgh got back are part of the equation too, but the bigger question is what the Pirates are willing to spend if they want to keep a proven late-inning arm in the mix.
Bednar remains a high-end bullpen option, the kind of reliever any contender would be happy to plug into the back end, but Pittsburgh has to weigh that against a broader list of needs. The bullpen can always use help, yet the front office also has other roster areas demanding attention, and thats where the real tension sits for this winter. The Pirates may like the idea of a reunion, but whether they make a serious push could say more about their offseason priorities than about Bednar himself. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates May Be Running Out Of Time On Their Top Offseason Need
The Pirates have spent the early offseason treating second base as their clearest priority, and Brandon Lowe has emerged as the player most tied to that need. Pittsburgh has been weighing ways to address the spot while the free-agent market still has some depth, but the broader backdrop is making the decision harder. The club would prefer to sort through its options with some patience, especially with other second basemen available if the top target proves too expensive or too difficult to land.
The problem is the calendar may not offer much of that patience. A potential MLB lockout could quickly squeeze the Pirates leverage and limit what they can do if negotiations stall, turning what looked like a measured pursuit into a more urgent one. If the market tightens and Lowe remains available, Pittsburgh may have to decide sooner than planned whether to push hard for him or risk watching its top offseason need linger deeper into the winter. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Still Lack The Late-Game Edge Contenders Rely On
The Pirates gave themselves something to build on with an 82-80 finish in 2026, their first winning season since 2018, but the run only sharpened the conversation around what still separates a good club from a true contender. In a year when the bullpen showed its flaws, Pittsburgh leaned on arms like Mason Montgomery and Yohan Ramrez, yet the late innings often looked more fragile than teams with October expectations can afford.
For a club trying to turn a modest step forward into a real jump, the relief corps remains the part of the roster that most needs sharpening. The Pirates have enough evidence now to know that better late-game run prevention is not just a luxury, and the next few moves will reveal whether they can turn a promising season into one with staying power. [Read more 🡒]