Pirates Ownership is reportedly willing to invest in the squad this season. Although their first attempt to lure a top free agent to Pittsburgh failed, the Pirates reportedly offered first baseman Josh Naylor a contract worth more than $78 million.
Naylor isn’t the only offensive upgrade the Pirates are focusing on. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports this that Pittsburgh has extended a four-year offer to designated hitter/outfielder Kyle Schwarber. The bid is believed to be in excess of $100 million. If Schwarber agrees to sign in Pittsburgh, he would be the first hitter to receive a multi-year contract in free agency since first baseman/outfielder John Jaso signed a two-year, $8 million contract during the 2015-2016 offseason.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally looking to invest in an exciting young team
The Pirates desperately need to upgrade the lineup if they want to compete for a playoff spot in 2026. Pirates hitters combined for a .231/.305/.350 batting line in 2025 and ranked last in the majors in home runs (117), runs (583) and OPS (.655). The Pirates have a dynamic young rotation, but can’t win games 0-0.
Schwarber would be a start for overhauling the lineup. He posted a .240/.365/.563 batting line over 724 plate appearances and led the National League with 56 home runs and 132 RBI. The Pirates haven’t had a player hit more than 30 home runs since first baseman Josh Bell hit 37 in 2019; Schwarber has hit at least 30 home runs in seven of his last eight non-pandemic seasons.
The biggest question would be where the Pirates would play Schwarber. He is best suited as a design hitter, but the door is open for franchise icon Andrew McCutchen to return to Pittsburgh. Schwarber would suffer a demotion defensively on the left, although his powerful bat would make up for these shortcomings.
Schwarber alone won’t be enough to transform the Pirates’ lineup. Second, third and catcher are also areas of concern. The Pirates are hoping outfielders Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz can rebound from disappointing performances in 2025. Adding Schwarber would be a nice start, but he can’t be the only asset the Pirates bring in.
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