The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year deal in free agency.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are improving their offense by signing Ryan O’Hearn away from the San Diego Padres on a two-year deal.
O’Hearn, 32, is set to make $29 million over the next two seasons with the Bucs, giving them a designated hitter and outfielder to work with. ESPN insider Bradford Doolittle graded the signing and gave the Pirates a “B+” for the move.
“In any event, there is a lot to like about this move for Pittsburgh and very little not to like. This is good stuff. Even after signing O’Hearn, the Pirates should not stop here, but clearly they have moved closer to featuring an average offense to go with their high-ceiling, Paul Skenes-led pitching staff. When you consider the built-in error bars endemic to the projection game, the Pirates’ probabilities for making the 2026 postseason are no longer a joke,“ Doolittle wrote.
“For a couple of years, we’ve been looking at Pittsburgh’s rotation and dreaming over what it might look like in a playoff context. Increasingly, the Pirates are moving closer to making that less of a wild fantasy, and more something that could actually happen in the real world.”
O’Hearn is definitely a step in the right direction, but the Pirates are on a journey towards getting better. It will take more for the Pirates to improve than just signing O’Hearn, but it is clear now that Pittsburgh’s words have actions to back them up with. That alone should have Pirates fans hopeful for the 2026 season and beyond.
Category: General Sports
