The Pirates didn’t reach the postseason in 2026, but October still offers them a few names worth tracking - and not just for the playoff drama. With the Championship Series starting this week, Pittsburgh can look at a few players still alive in the NLCS and ALCS as possible answers for 2027.
If the Pirates want to strengthen the bullpen without breaking the bank, Brewers left-hander JoJo Romero makes plenty of sense. He’s heading into free agency this offseason after being dealt from the St.
Louis Cardinals to Milwaukee at this year’s deadline, and he’s been a steady presence in the NL Central since 2022. Romero doesn’t light up radar guns - his sinker sits at 93.7 mph, his sweeper at 82.9 mph and his changeup at 87.3 mph - but he gets results with weak contact, ground balls and durability.
His sinker and sweeper have been his best weapons, and they’ve kept him in the big leagues for most of this decade. For a Pirates club that can always use another southpaw, he’d be a sensible swing.
Pittsburgh also needs right-handed pop, and Guardians outfielder Jo Adell fits that bill. He’s been a key piece in Cleveland’s postseason run, piling up five hits, two triples and six RBI as the Guardians rallied from a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS.
Adell broke things open with a bases-clearing triple in the third inning of Game 3, helping spark a 9-3 win, then followed with a two-run single in the sixth inning of Game 4 during a six-run burst that helped Cleveland finish off a 9-4 victory after trailing 4-3. He’s also shown the kind of power the Pirates need, with 20-plus home runs in each of the past three seasons, including 37 in 2025 with the Los Angeles Angels, ninth-most in baseball that year.
Against left-handed pitching in 2026, he was especially dangerous, slashing .320/.372/.599 with an OPS of .971, plus 14 home runs, 45 RBI and 55 hits. That matters for a Pirates team that went 18-33 against lefty starters in 2026.
Adell is in his final year of arbitration next season, so Pittsburgh would have to trade for him, and the club already explored that possibility at the deadline.
If the Pirates want to aim even higher, Dodgers lefty Alex Vesia is the premium bullpen target in this group. He was a major force for Los Angeles in 2026 as the club chases a three-peat, and his numbers show why he’s so valuable: a 2.64 ERA in 72 outings and 58 innings, 74 strikeouts against 32 walks, a .147 BAA and a 1.07 WHIP.
His BAA ranked second among relief pitchers. Vesia works with a four-seam fastball, slider and changeup, but the stuff plays because he executes it so well; his fastball averages 92.4 mph.
He also posted elite miss and strikeout numbers, including a 33.6% whiff rate and a 31.2% strikeout rate, while limiting hard contact at a 33.6% clip. He’ll cost more than Romero, but if Pittsburgh is serious about 2027, the bullpen is exactly where bold moves can start.
In Other News...
Bob Nutting Could Finally Face Pressure To Spend More
Labor talks across baseball have started to carry a real edge, and for the Pirates the issue goes well beyond the usual winter posture. Owners have proposed a sweeping new economic structure in the next collective bargaining agreement, including a salary cap and a payroll floor tied to 2027. For Pittsburgh, a club that has long operated well below the spending levels of the sports upper tier, the conversation cuts straight to the franchises long-running identity under Bob Nutting.
The Pirates are among the teams that would be most affected if the owners get their way, because the proposal would force low-payroll clubs to move meaningfully upward. The MLB Players Association is pushing back hard against the overhaul, and the sides have already drifted close enough to another potential work stoppage that every financial wrinkle matters. For Nutting, this could be the rare moment when baseballs labor fight creates pressure from outside the usual fan frustration, and it may finally put spending where Pittsburgh supporters have wanted it for years. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Face A Tough David Bednar Decision
The Pirates bullpen picture has changed enough that an old familiar name suddenly looks like a luxury rather than an obvious fit. David Bednar has rebuilt his value in New York by handling the ninth inning well, and his recent form is the kind that gets attention from teams looking for proven back-end help. For Pittsburgh, though, the question is no longer just about whether Bednar can pitch. It is about whether paying to bring him back would still make sense with other internal options already pushing their way into meaningful late-game roles.
Mason Montgomery has become part of that conversation by putting together a strong season and earning National League Reliever of the Month honors, a sign the Pirates may already have a closer-in-waiting on hand. That makes the Bednar pursuit a tricky call, because he would not come cheap and the clock is also tied to his future team control. Pittsburgh has to balance the comfort of a known commodity against the value of staying patient with a pitcher who has already shown he can finish games. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Face An Offseason That Will Reveal Ownerships Real Ambition
The Pirates are heading into an offseason that may say as much about ownership as it does about the roster. After finishing 2026 with a winning record for the first time in years, Pittsburgh has a chance to turn that progress into something bigger, but the work ahead is more complicated than simply adding a bat or two. Several key players are already under contract, others are heading toward arbitration, and the front office has to decide how aggressively it wants to push a club that has not reached the postseason since 2015.
For a team trying to move from encouraging to legitimate, the financial picture matters almost as much as the on-field one. Pittsburgh has roster decisions to make with an eye on 2027, and the next few months will show whether the club is content to stay cautious or finally treat a winning season as the start of something larger. How much room there is to maneuver, and what sacrifice might come with creating it, will define the winter in Pittsburgh. [Read more 🡒]