PIRATES

As Dejan Kovacevic reported Friday, the Pirates are discussing raising the team’s payroll to $110 million, which would represent a $25 million increase over their 40-man cash expenditure in 2025. The team could be looking at $40 to 50 million in available payroll space to improve the offense. 

Now that Major League Baseball’s non-tender deadline has passed, a few additional players have been added to the free-agent pool for the Pirates to evaluate for their offensive needs at third base, left field and either right field or designated-hitter.

The best hitter to be non-tendered was Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia, a move that Chris Halicke pointed out on Friday. Garcia had a wonderful run to the World Series in 2023. From 2021 to 2023, he averaged 4.03 bWAR, 32 home runs and 99 RBIs. Then in 2024, his production dropped to 0.3 bWAR, 25 home runs and 85 RBIs.

Garcia’s 2025 season wasn't his best with a 2.7 bWAR backed by a .227 batting average, .271 on-base percentage and .394 slugging percentage. Garcia’s 19 home runs ranked behind Oneil Cruz’s team-leading 20 and his 75 RBIs would have led the team. 

For most of Garcia's career, he's been most comfortable in right field, which could present an opportunity — if he'd sign in Pittsburgh — for the Pirates to shift Bryan Reynolds into a full-time role as the designated hitter due to his declining defensive numbers. 

Reynolds totaled 1 defensive runs saved above average (DRS), which was eighth among the 11 right fielders who played at least 1,000 innings at the position. Garcia was the leader with 16.

If the team would entertain Garcia filling the left field position, he's been limited to 90 innings in 16 games played. 

After the season ended, Ben Cherington mentioned the team would have to bet on players. They shouldn't waste time waiting to go after Garcia since he's the more established outfielder compared to JJ Bleday, MJ Melendez, Mike Tauchman and Jake Fraley, all of whom were non-tendered this week.

Garcia also represents a shorter-term option at a lesser rate than the top outfielders on the free-agent market in Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, and he'll likely be better than players such as Harrison Bader, Mike Yastrzemski, Tommy Pham and Miguel Andujar.

The opportunity to be aggressive in signing Garcia reminds me of when Neal Huntington went after Russell Martin in 2012, signing him to a two-year deal for $17 million. 

As for a player to take a bet on, one that might fit the mold could be outfielder/third baseman Christopher Morel. 

Last season for Tampa Bay, Morel played 468 innings in left field, putting up -4 DRS as the Rays moved him away from third base with Junior Caminero on the team.

The Pirates can’t expect to have a team of Gold Glove winners if they want to have a respectable offense in 2026, which could be where Cherington looks for the 2023 and 2024 version of Morel to compete with Jared Triolo at third base. 

In 2023, Morel slashed .247/.313/.508 with 26 home runs and 70 RBIs for the Cubs, then followed the next season slashing .196/.288/.346 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs with the Cubs and Rays. 

This season, Morel slashed .219/.289/.396 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs in 305 plate appearances, almost half the appearances than 2024. 

Morel wouldn't be my first choice to fill the position with Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suarez available as free agents. Each have a better track record, though they'll be attached to contracts the team has never signed a player to in free agency. 

Another third base option after being non-tendered this week is Ramon Urias. 

Urias is a smaller player at 5-9 and his career-high 16 home runs in 2022 with the Orioles feels far away after posting 4, 11 and 11 home runs the following three seasons. He's a solid infield defender, similar to Nick Yorke and Triolo, which likely means the team can do better in free agency.