It’s no secret anymore that Pirates owner Bob Nutting might be doing everything he can to keep Paul Skenes happy in Pittsburgh. Notably, after that leaked report about Skenes supposedly wanting a trade and the rumors tying the Pirates to Kyle Schwarber, fans have been waiting for a big move to finally happen.

But so far, nothing. Schwarber isn’t here, and critics doubt whether the Pirates ever seriously pursued Josh Naylor as the rumors suggested. Now, in the middle of all this, the team is getting a bit of a reality check with another big-name bat—Seattle’s Eugenio Suarez. Go for him not to waste Paul Skenes!

“If owner Bob Nutting is serious about authorizing some expenditures to not waste the early prime of Paul Skenes, there are plenty of players available to aid an offense that ranked last in home runs and slugging percentage in 2025,” Andy McCullough of The Athletic said.

So, here goes Suarez as the first choice! The man just ended his 7-year-$66 million contract.

Notably, Suarez finished 2025 with Seattle, hitting .228/.298/.526 and posting an .824 OPS. Even in the postseason, he held his own with a .213/.275/.426 line, three HRs, and eight RBIs. In contrast, not a single Pirate hit more than 20 HRs this year.

Hence, adding the 34-year-old slugger would be a massive upgrade for a Pittsburgh offense that finished 2025 with just 117 HRs and 583 runs!!!

And honestly, this might be the perfect moment for the Pirates to shake things up. Why? Because for once, GM Ben Cherington actually sounds optimistic, saying he has “more flexibility than [they’ve] had in other offseasons.”

On top of that, guys like Mike Burrows and Carmen Mlodzinski showed they could lock down rotation spots, top prospect Bubba Chandler made his MLB debut, and Mitch Keller continues to be a reliable starter.

So, beyond Skenes, there are pieces here that can make an impact.

What the Pirates really need now is better offense, and Suarez could be the spark that pushes them forward. If there’s a year for Pittsburgh to flip the script and capitalize on Skenes’ prime, 2026 might be it.

But if Nutting’s renewed interest ends up being another false start, it’s going to be hard to keep their top talent in Pittsburgh.

A few rumors about the Pirates have already proved dud

There are reasons behind being skeptical about the Pirates’ interest this offseason. Remember, they are rumored to be pursuing Josh Naylor? Well, that proved to be a rumor only.

Thanks to their lackluster offense, the Pirates were widely expected to make a push for Josh Naylor. But MLB insider Ken Rosenthal shot down those rumors, and Naylor ultimately signed with the Mariners on a $92 million deal.

Then there’s Kyle Schwarber… He is projected to land something in the $128 million range, and somehow the Pirates are said to be in the mix, despite their projected 2026 payroll being barely half of what Schwarber alone is expected to command. Yet even with all this chatter, there’s still been no real movement from the front office.

So we can’t blame fans for wanting actual action instead of more rumors about what Bob Nutting might do. And if all these whispers amount to nothing again, the Pirates’ front office should be ready for even louder “sell the team” chants echoing through PNC Park in 2026.