The Pittsburgh Pirates have already made an absolutely stunning MLB offseason decision.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have maintained that they will actually try to add legitimate pieces this offseason, and apparently, they have already gotten busy doing so.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic has reported that the Pirates have made an offer to free-agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, although he did not specify what the offer actually was.
Schwarber is expected to land a four or five-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $30 million annually, which would put the designated hitter well over $100 million in terms of total value.
The Pirates have own handed out one $100 million deal in the history of their franchise, which came when they inked outfielder Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year, $106.75 million extension back in April 2023. As far as free agency is concerned, Pittsburgh's biggest move was the three-year, $39 million contract it gave pitcher Francisco Liriano over a decade ago.
The general consensus has long been that Schwarber will ultimately re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, but it seems like the NL East champs will have some competition.
Of course, the question is whether or not Schwarber would actually want to sign with the Buccos.
Let's face it: Pittsburgh is not exactly a marquee free-agent destination, as the Pirates have only made three playoff appearances since 1993, and they all came between 2013 and 2015.
In order for Pittsburgh to actually convince Schwarber — or any big-name free agent — to come board is likely by significantly overpaying, it seems rather doubtful that the Bucs will actually do that.
The Pirates definitely need bats, as they were the worst offense in baseball in 2025. Schwarber — who smashed 56 home runs while tallying 132 RBI this past season — would definitely help with that, but again, it seems rather unrealistic.
It's worth noting that Schwarber is 32 years old and will be 33 come opening day, so whether or not Pittsburgh would be willing to dole out a five-year, $150 million pact to an aging player who doesn't play defense remains to be seen. And again, the Pirates may have to pay more than that.
Pittsburgh has also been floated as a potential landing spot for Jorge Polanco and Ryan O'Hearn while also being named a possible trade destination for Brandon Lowe, Jeff McNeil and Brendan Donovan.
Whether or not the Pirates actually get anything done, however, remains to be seen.