After finishing fifth in the National League Central with a 71-91 record, the Pittsburgh Pirates failed to capitalize on a historic pitching season by Paul Skenes, who led to an unanimous NL Cy Young Award. Skenes posted a league-best 1.97 ERA with 216 strikeouts over 187.2 IP. However, apart from this brilliant performance, the Pirates took a step back as they failed to improve on their 76–86 record from the previous season and missed the playoffs for the tenth straight year.

However, addressing the team’s mishaps, Pirates President Travis Williams has expressed that the team will change its approach while acknowledging past mistakes.

“Our goal and expectation is that we win and make the playoffs,” Williams shared in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“In order to do that, we have to be aggressive. We think we missed the mark in being aggressive last offseason. We didn’t add to the offense the way we needed to in order to support the pitching staff that we had. We know we have a really special pitching staff, one of the best, if not the best, in baseball. We have to support that with offense.”

Fortunately, the Pirates have one of the best young cores in the league. Mitch Keller secured himself as a reliable No. 2 starter with a 3.85 ERA over 180 innings. Similarly, the team saw great potential in young right-hander Bubba Chandler. This collective, coupled with Skenes, forms a formidable rotation that requires immediate offensive support.

So far this winter, the Pirates have eyed a few top-end batting stars in Josh Naylor, Kyle Schwarber, and Ryan O’Hearn, among others. They’ve also expressed interest in the likes of Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto.

But having interest and acting are two different things. And if the Pirates need improvements, they need to be prepared to sign a free agent to a multi-year contract, since pitcher Ivan Nova‘s three-year, $26 million deal in December 2016.

Skenes’ historic season makes the offense’s failure to support him a tragic waste of a prime pitching year. The Pirates must decisively act this offseason, as the competitive window with Skenes would last for just four more seasons after 2025, with his contract expiring when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2029. The pressure is on the front office to convert this generational pitching talent into sustained team success.

Delving into this change of approach, Travis Williams also alluded to how the Pirates’ owner, Bob Nutting, has agreed to break character and invest funds to make the required moves.

“[Nutting] set clear goals and expectations of both myself and Ben — to win and make the playoffs,” Williams noted.

“[Nutting] has also made sure we have the resources to do it, knowing we have to be aggressive in the marketplace.”

Williams’ acknowledgement is significant given owner Bob Nutting’s reputation for minimal spending. The 2024 offseason illustrated this tendency as the Pirates signed low-cost veterans like Rowdy Tellez ($3.2M) and Michael A. Taylor ($4M), leading to their historically dismal offense.

The team’s decade-long aversion to multi-year free-agent contracts is why the new spending promises are met with skepticism.

Meanwhile, reports indicate the Pittsburgh Pirates’ newest free agency target from the AL West.

Who is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ new free agency target?

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently have between $62 million – $67 million in payroll commitments for 2026. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, there’s speculation about the Pirates’ spending $30 to $40 million this offseason.

A significant chunk of this capital could help Pittsburgh acquire the services of Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich reported the development.

“The Pittsburgh Pirates, after expressing interest in first baseman Josh Naylor, are doing the same with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, while considering infielders Jorge Polanco, Ryan O’Hearn, and Kazuma Okamoto as perhaps more realistic free-agent options.”

The Pirates hit the fewest home runs across the league last season at just 117, which was 31 home runs lower than the next team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh also posted the worst slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655) of any MLB team while scoring the least amount of runs (583) and driving in the fewest RBIs (561).

To address this issue, Bob Nutting and Co. would hope Jorge Polanco can replicate his 26-home run season, the second-most in his career. Furthermore, the 33-year-old MLB veteran also brings his experience, versatility of playing multiple positions, and veteran leadership to the team.

Now, only time will tell whether the Pirates act on these promises and build a strong roster around their generational star, Paul Skenes.