All-Star slugger Ryan O'Hearn secures a significant payday, signing a two-year deal that shores up the Pirates' lineup.
The San Diego Padres haven't been as busy as many thought they would be. Even though they brought back Michael King, they watched Dylan Cease go to the Toronto Blue Jays for a seven-year, $210 million deal.
Closer Robert Suarez signed a three-year deal with the Atlanta Braves, and now another former Padres player is on the move.
First baseman Ryan O'Hearn, who was acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Baltimore Orioles, has signed a two-year, $29 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Robert Murray of FanSided had the details and broke the news first.
"A splash for the Pirates: Free-agent first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on a two-year, $29 million contract, according to sources familiar with the deal. It includes $500K in performance bonuses in each season."
O'Hearn came to San Diego alongside outfielder Ramon Laureano, and O'Hearn was an All-Star in 2025 and provided some solid offense during his short time in San Diego.
He played in 50 regular-season games for the Padres, hitting four home runs with 20 RBI with a total of 45 hits.
O'Hearn began his MLB career with the Kansas City Royals, where he played five seasons before going to the Orioles.
Now, he goes to the Pirates, who also acquired Brandon Lowe in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays recently.
As for an Diego, the need for a first baseman is more evident than before, especially with some holding out hope of O'Hearn returning.
Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song, who just signed a four-year deal, has a small bit of experience at first base.
The Padres also have Gavin Sheets and Jake Cronenworth as options, but the latter has seen his name involved in plenty of trade rumors.
Luis Arraez also played first base last season for San Diego, but he is a free agent.
For O'Hearn, he cashes in on a nice payday and a chance for an everyday role, something he struggled to find in San Diego for several reasons, although Mike Shildt's lineups had fans wondering what was going on.
At the end of the day, O'Hearn earns a much-deserved payday, and the Pirates continue to defy the odds and surprise everybody by being aggressive.
Perhaps the Padres explore the market more, but seeing O'Hearn walk for less than $30 million from the Pirates in free agency is a bit of a surprise.