Pirates Predicted to Land Two Shocking Additions
The Pittsburgh Pirates badly need offense heading into the MLB offseason, but they are not a franchise that typically has the financial means to make big additions.
The Pirates ranked No. 29 in the league in payroll this year, which is right on brand for a team that is not known to splurge on expensive players.
But, could Pittsburgh buck that trend this winter?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks so, as he is predicting the Pirates to sign sluggers Tyler O'Neill and Joc Pederson in free agency.
"The Pirates sign outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Joc Pederson, adding veteran offense to their lineup," Bowden boldly wrote.
Neither O'Neill nor Pederson are going to get Juan Soto money, or even Teoscar Hernández money. That much is clear. But, even these two bats would normally be a bit too rich for Pittsburgh's blood.
O'Neill is coming off of an impressive campaign with the Boston Red Sox in which he slashed .241/.336/.511 with 31 home runs and 61 RBIs over 473 plate appearances.
It represented the second time the outfielder smashed over 30 long balls since entering the big leagues in 2018, and it probably would have been more than that had he been able to remain healthy throughout his career.
Meanwhile, Pederson just slashed .275/.393/.515 with 23 dingers and 64 RBIs across 449 trips to the dish with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a couple of All-Star appearances under his belt, most recently making it in 2022 when he recorded an .874 OPS with the San Francisco Giants.
Both players are very solid hitters, and O'Neill is actually decent defensively as well. Pederson, on the other hand, transitioned into a full-time designated hitter role with the Diamondbacks in 2024, although he has extensive outfield experience (he just isn't very good at it).
Considering the Pirates are in desperate need of power hitters, either player would represent a fantastic addition. Whether or not Pittsburgh decides to go in that direction is the real question.
