The Pirates have two free agents on the board this winter, and both force real questions about how Pittsburgh wants to build for 2027.
Brandon Lowe and Gregory Soto each spent only one season with the club, but both gave the Pirates enough to make this a meaningful decision. Lowe, the second baseman, was the louder success story by far.
Soto settled in as a useful left-handed arm in the bullpen. Now the Pirates have to decide whether either is worth bringing back - and if not, who fills the gaps.
Lowe is the tougher puzzle. He wasn’t just productive; he was the best-hitting second baseman in baseball.
He led MLB second basemen with 35 home runs, a .493 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS, and he became the first Pirates player to reach 35 homers since Josh Bell hit 37 in 2019. He also made a real impact at PNC Park, where he hit 20 home runs and took advantage of the right field wall.
In 2026, he was Pittsburgh’s top bat and its biggest source of power.
That kind of production won’t come cheap. Lowe is one of the better second base free agents available, so the Pirates may not be able to keep him.
If he walks, Pittsburgh’s in-house choices don’t match his bat or his glove. Nick Gonzales would be the first name in the mix, and he brought plenty of offense, but his defense at second base was a problem.
In 2025, he posted -11 defensive runs saved there. Jared Triolo gives the Pirates the opposite profile: excellent defense at second, with +10 DRS and +4 outs above average, but a light bat.
Triolo is hitting .237/.317/.335 with a .652 OPS in his career.
If the Pirates go outside the organization, there are options in free agency. Jazz Chisholm, Gleyber Torres, Luis Arraez and others could be available.
Chisholm would be the best of that group, though he’s younger and likely to command a deal that doesn’t come in below Lowe’s range, and the New York Yankees will try to keep him. Torres and Arraez bring track records of their own, with Arraez standing out as a three-time batting champion, but neither offers Lowe’s power.
Trade possibilities are murkier, but a few names could surface. The Miami Marlins have been willing to move players, which could make Xavier Edwards or utility man Javier Sanoja possible fits.
Colorado Rockies utility man Willi Castro is another trade target, and the Pirates have shown interest in him before. He could help at second base as well.
Soto’s situation is different, but still important. He gave Pittsburgh a solid season and should draw interest when he hits free agency for the second time. There were bumps along the way, and he wasn’t always consistent, but more often than not he gave the Pirates the kind of left-handed relief presence they were missing before they signed him.
If Soto departs, the internal options include Brandon Eisert and Evan Sisk, with rookie Hunter Barco as a long relief option. Eisert and Sisk are similar pitchers: they don’t light up the radar gun, but they use strong extension to make life harder for hitters trying to pick up the ball.
The free-agent market also offers several left-handed relievers at different price points, including A.J. Minter, José Alvarado, JoJo Romero and Sean Newcomb. The Pirates may decide not to spend another $7.75 million on a high-end reliever like they did with Soto in 2026, but there will be alternatives if they choose to go that route.
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