pittsburgh pirates Took another step toward becoming a contender in 2026, agreeing to terms with All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn A two-year, $29 million deal was reached, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Tuesday.
This is the first multi-year free agent deal the Pirates have put together since 2016 as they look to boost one of the bigger offenses.
2025 was a big year for the 32-year-old O’Hearn, earning his first All-Star selection while setting career highs with a .281 average, 17 homers and 3.0 WAR. The left-hander doesn’t have a lot of raw power, but instead is more of a steady base threat. He played more regularly against lefties last season and hit .278/.358/.474 against them in 109 plate appearances.
The deal is the latest in a very busy winter for the Pirates, who have acquired second baseman brandon loweoutfielder jake mangum and left handed pitcher mason montgomery Last week as part of a three-team tradePittsburgh also traded red Sox outfield prospect jostinxon garciaSigned reliever who hit 18 homers in Triple-A gregory soto And several other players have been in the mix as it tries to bolster its lineup to support a pitching staff that also includes the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. Paul Skenes and newbie bubba chandler,
The Pirates are coming off a 71–91 season, in which the offense finished at or near the bottom of the majors in most important statistical categories, including runs and home runs.
O’Hearn had 64 RBIs while playing for the Orioles and Padres last season. He offers some versatility as he has played both first base and corner outfield spots. Pirates have left-handed shooting ability spencer horwitz Initially, though, O’Hearn could get playing time there and perhaps in the outfield with oneil cruz And two-time All-Star brian reynolds,
In eight MLB seasons, including a five-year stint royal familyO’Hearn is a career .252 hitter, although his numbers have increased over the past three seasons. He is batting .277 with 46 homers and 182 RBIs since the start of 2023 and now finds himself playing half his games in a ballpark where the 21-foot-tall Clemente Wall starts just 320 feet from home plate.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
