I’m still kind of in shock, honestly. We’re sitting here in an offseason where everyone is yelling about restraint, payroll flexibility, and “waiting for the right opportunity,” and somehow the Pirates and Marlins are the ones actually spending money. That was absolutely not on my bingo card for this winter.

For years, those two franchises have been the go-to examples whenever fans talk about penny-pinching, selling at the first sign of success, or treating competitiveness like a temporary inconvenience. Now? They’re making real moves, committing real dollars, and at least pretending like winning in the near term matters. It’s jarring in the best and weirdest way possible.

What really gets me is the league-wide ripple effect. If Pittsburgh and Miami are willing to push chips in even a little, it completely undercuts the “small market, hands tied” excuse we hear every offseason. You don’t have to spend like the Dodgers or Yankees, but you do have to show intent. Fans notice effort. Players notice effort. The sport notices effort. The Pirates are not exactly setting the world on fire with the signings of Ryan O'Hearn and former Tigers left-hander Gregory Soto but it's somewhat shocking. The Marlins signing of Pete Fairbanks, is a one-year deal but Miami was competitive last season and he adds to a team that is stacked with pitching. 

I don’t know if it all works out, and history says skepticism is fair. But credit where it’s due: seeing these teams act like serious organizations, even briefly, is refreshing. If nothing else, it makes this offseason a lot more interesting than anyone expected.