PIRATES

It's perfectly understandable for there to be skepticism surrounding the Pirates' efforts to upgrade their offense this winter. 

Until they actually go out and execute a deal with a proven, productive bat, there's a lot for the team to prove in order to gain trust that they'll actually execute their overall plan. 

But what I've learned during my three days here at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla., is that the efforts seem to be more serious than the first time I experienced this particular event just last year. 

Sure, it would have been advantageous for them to set more of a tone here. They signed Gregory Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal last night to bolster their bullpen, particularly in regards to left-on-left situations, in their lone deal of the three-day event. They did make a five-player trade right beforehand to acquire a young bat with potential in Jhostynxon Garcia, but that deal never was and never will be viewed as a solution to their issues. Instead, it's just a small step in the right direction. 

The Pirates were connected to Kyle Schwarber, offering him a reported four-year, $125 million deal before he ultimately landed back in Philadelphia with a five-year, $150 million contract. And that offer to Schwarber was indeed real. 

But now that Schwarber, as expected, will not be in a Pirates uniform in 2026 and beyond, there's a need to pivot. It seems wise to now offer a similar deal to a player of Cody Bellinger's caliber. He, like Schwarber and Pete Alonso, who just signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles, fits the mold of a player capable of changing the complexion of a lineup, and would be worth the years and the dollars associated with that type of deal.

I haven't heard anything tied to him, though. I've continued to hear names like Jorge Polanco and Ryan O'Hearn, as the Pirates may look to spread out their resources to acquire multiple bats rather than just one in an effort to lengthen out the lineup. 

They could look toward the trade front at options like Brandon Lowe, too. He's coming off a 31-home-run season and is capable of being utilized both at second base and designated hitter. Plus, it might not take much to trade for him considering he's due $11.5 million this year before becoming a free agent in 2027. Perhaps he'd be worth taking a shot at, given that the price is right. 

It's OK for fans to be disappointed in the lack of activity this week. It's natural to want to see this team do more in order to fix a poor-performing lineup. But it doesn't seem like the work is going to stop here. It absolutely shouldn't. The Pirates have a responsibility to keep their hats in the ring for available free agents who could realistically produce in 2026 and beyond. 

Ben Cherington said Tuesday that he's "confident we’re going to land some things that help our position player group, help our team generally." He doesn't know when it'll happen, but he appears more direct in stating his belief that it eventually will. 

If meaningful transactions do come to fruition, that's a step in the right direction. But the Pirates do have to take the groundwork they laid this week and make sure the execution that's been talked about actually results in players who can help turn this offense into one capable of putting more runs on the board and, in turn, winning more games.