The free agent third baseman options are dwindling for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pirates lost out to the Toronto Blue Jays for Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto over the weekend. That leaves few players left on the market who would be an upgrade over Jared Triolo, the Pirates’ presumptive opening day third baseman.
Trading for a third baseman seems like a long shot as the Pirates have already tapped into their starting pitching depth twice this offseason to upgrade their anemic offense. Mike Burrows was dealt to the Houston Astros in a three-way trade in which the Tampa Bay Rays sent second baseman Brandon Lowe to the Pirates. The Pirates also shipped Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox for outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia.
So, it would seem free agency would be the Pirates’ best chance to improve at third base.
The top third baseman available is Alex Bregman. Though the Pirates made a four-year, $120-million bid in their unsuccessful attempt to sign free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber, it seems unlikely they would spend that much money on Bregman.
That same offer might not be enough to land Bregman. He signed a three-year, $120-million contract with the Boston Red Sox in spring training last season but then opted out after one season, walking away from a guaranteed $80 million.
A more realistic option for the Pirates is Eugenio Suarez, who had 49 home runs and 118 RBIs last season in 159 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. The 34-year-old had a slash line of .228/.298/.526 with minus-6 defensive runs saved.
Suarez would be hard-pressed to make a run at 50 home runs again this upcoming season, but should at least be capable of hitting 30, which would be a welcome addition in a lineup that was last in MLB in runs scored, homers, and OPS in 2025.
However, the Pirates would likely have to overpay to entice Suarez to sign with a franchise that finished in last place in the National League Central last season and has had 29 losing seasons in the last 33 years. Thus, the Pirates would likely need to go to a fourth year to land Suarez with a deal worth around $70 million.
The Pirates have repeatedly said they plan to contend this upcoming season, and Suarez would certainly help. However, Suarez would also be 38 by the end of a four-year contract, which would give Pirates general manager Ben Cherington pause before agreeing to such a long deal.