The Pirates and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn have reportedly agreed to a two-year cope with a $29MM assure. The ACES consumer may earn an additional $500K annually through incentives: $100K for 450 plate appearances, one other $100K for 475, then $150K for 500 and 525 plate appearances. Pittsburgh has a full 40-man roster and might want to make a corresponding transfer for this to grow to be official.
O’Hearn, now 32, has been having fun with a late-career breakout over the previous three seasons. He performed elements of 5 seasons with the Royals from 2018 to 2022 with only a .219/.293/.390 line to point out for it.
The Royals designated O’Hearn for task in December of 2022. The Orioles noticed sufficient potential in him to accumulate him by sending money issues to Kansas Metropolis. Baltimore designated him for task shortly thereafter and handed him via waivers.
For those who’ve ever questioned why a crew would purchase a participant and put him on waivers every week or two later, O’Hearn offers the reason. The O’s opened a roster spot for different strikes whereas holding O’Hearn in a non-roster capability. He had a robust spring in 2023 however Baltimore nonetheless despatched him to the minors to start the season, sustaining depth.
By the center of April 2023, O’Hearn was again within the huge leagues and has been on an upward trajectory since then. He hit 14 homers for Baltimore that yr and slashed .289/.322/.480 for a 118 wRC+. His 4.1% stroll fee was fairly poor and he benefited from a .340 batting common on balls in play but it surely was a implausible improve over his earlier work.
Extra enhancements got here in 2024. His .264/.334/.427 batting line once more led to a 118 wRC+, a precise match for the yr prior, but it surely felt extra earned this time. His BABIP dropped to a below-average .282 whereas his stroll fee greater than doubled to 9.3%.
In 2025, a yr he cut up between the O’s and Padres after a deadline commerce, he elevated his stroll fee but once more to 10.7%. His 17 dwelling runs have been a profession excessive. His batted-ball luck turned once more, as he posted a .330 BABIP. That every one led to a .281/.366/.437 line and 127 wRC+.
He additionally appeared to have much less of a platoon cut up. Like many lefty hitters, he has usually struggled in opposition to southpaws. However in 2025, he had a .278/.358/.474 line and 135 wRC+ in opposition to lefties. That was in simply 109 plate appearances and he had a .358 BABIP within the cut up but it surely was an encouraging growth nonetheless.
Along with his work on the plate, O’Hearn supplied some defensive versatility. He largely performed first base but in addition logged round 150 outfield innings in every of the previous three seasons.
Your entire package deal lined O’Hearn up for a pleasant payday, although he wasn’t fairly on the stage of fellows like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso or Josh Naylor. Firstly of the offseason, MLBTR predicted O’Hearn to safe a two-year deal price $26MM. He’s gone only a shade past that.
Few would have predicted the Pirates to be the membership to pay O’Hearn. They’ve been one of many least lively golf equipment in free company prior to now decade. They haven’t given any free agent a multi-year deal since Ivan Nova’s three-year pact again in 2016. Their final multi-year deal for a free agent hitter was two years and $8MM for John Jaso in 2015. The biggest free agent assure in franchise historical past remains to be the three-year, $39MM deal for Francisco Liriano from 2014.
However they’ve clearly come into this offseason decided to overtake their lineup. The previous few seasons have seen them develop an enormous stockpile of pitching expertise however they’ve had far much less success with growing their place participant prospects.
The Bucs flirted with competition in 2023 and 2024 however with out making the postseason. The 2025 membership sputtered and by no means actually felt in it. The offense was an enormous a part of the frustration this yr. The membership had a collective .231/.305/.350 line and 82 wRC+, with the Rockies the one membership with much less offensive manufacturing. Spencer Horwitz was the one particular person on the crew with a wRC+ higher than 101.
Earlier than the 2025 marketing campaign was even over, it appeared seemingly that they might give attention to including offense this winter. The overall expectation was that they might try this by buying and selling from their deep provide of beginning pitchers, which they’ve accomplished, however they’ve been surprisingly lively in free company as effectively.
They reportedly provided Naylor a contract someplace within the vary of $80MM, earlier than he returned to the Mariners on a deal paying him $92.5MM. They provided Schwarber round $120-125MM earlier than the Phils introduced him again with a $150MM deal.
Being a runner-up for a free agent is just price a lot but it surely has been clear that the Pirates at the moment are extra keen to spend than in different offseasons. They’ve additionally been related to Jorge Polanco, earlier than he signed with the Mets, Kazuma Okamoto, who remains to be a free agent, and another hitters.
O’Hearn isn’t fairly as thrilling as Schwarber would have been. It’s additionally true that the membership nonetheless has the embarrassing document of getting by no means given a free agent $40MM. Nonetheless, O’Hearn is their largest free agent splash in years and turns into considered one of their finest hitters.
As talked about, the Bucs have additionally used their pitching surplus so as to add extra offense. They acquired Jhostynxon García within the commerce sending Johan Oviedo to Boston. They despatched Mike Burrows to Houston in a three-team commerce that introduced again Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum from the Rays, alongside lefty reliever Mason Montgomery.
Time will inform if there’s extra to come back earlier than Opening Day. For now, O’Hearn jumps right into a place participant that group which might develop in just a few other ways.
The Pirates don’t actually have a full-time designated hitter, with Andrew McCutchen at the moment unsigned. He has repeatedly re-signed with Pittsburgh in recent times however there have been some hints that the 2 sides are a bit much less prone to reunite for 2026.
As of now, Lowe and Horwitz could possibly be the regulars at second and first, respectively. Horwitz has a little bit of second base expertise however that was with the Blue Jays when the presence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it onerous for him to get taking part in time at first. The Bucs saved him at first base in 2025.
Lowe isn’t an important defender, so maybe he might see common time within the DH spot, or Horwitz and O’Hearn might share first base and DH.
There’s additionally room for O’Hearn within the outfield. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds ought to have two spots spoken for. Guys like García, Mangum, Jack Suwinski and Billy Prepare dinner are within the combine for enjoying time however O’Hearn taking part in the outfield might depart the DH spot open for Lowe.
That may then depart extra second base taking part in time for guys like Nick Yorke, Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales. Triolo and Gonzales may be elements at third base and shortstop however prospect Konnor Griffin would possibly cost ahead and grow to be the shortstop earlier than lengthy, although he’s solely 19 years previous and hasn’t performed the Triple-A stage but.
It’s doable the Bucs make much more strikes within the coming months however so much might be decided by the well being and efficiency of the assorted shifting elements on the roster.
RosterResource, assuming the O’Hearn deal has equal salaries within the two years, tasks the Bucs for a $96MM payroll subsequent yr. That’s tiny in comparison with the opposite golf equipment within the league however excessive for them. In line with Cot’s Baseball Contracts, they received to simply beneath $100MM in 2016 however have been under $90MM since 2017.
The approaching weeks and months will make clear if there’s extra to come back. For now, the Bucs have made one more transfer to improve the lineup in 2026. This wouldn’t be an particularly noteworthy dedication for some other membership but it surely’s the most important deal for Pittsburgh in fairly a while. For O’Hearn himself, it’s received to be an particularly gratifying day for a man who was handed via waivers about three years in the past.
FanSided’s Robert Murray first reported the Pirates have been signing O’Hearn to a two-year, $29MM with $500K in incentives. Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Put up-Gazette reported the motivation construction. Images courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, John Jones, Imagn Photos
