Free Agents<\/p>\n
Although the Bucs once again fell shy of the playoffs, there were undeniable positive strides for the organization in 2026. An already strong rotation looks even more formidable following the performances from some key young arms. Konnor Griffin<\/a>, the game\u2019s top prospect, debuted at 19 years of age and held his own (but missed a good chunk of time on the injured list). The revolving door at catcher hasn\u2019t necessarily halted but could be trending in that direction. And while an 82-80 record isn\u2019t especially exciting in a vacuum, it marks an 11-game improvement over 2025 and stands as the Pirates\u2019 first winning season since 2018 (when they also won 82 games).<\/p>\n Those trendlines, it seems, will be enough to get general manager Ben Cherington another crack at building the Pirates\u2019 first postseason team since 2015. Cherington is under contract through the 2027 season, and while owner Bob Nutting hasn\u2019t definitively declared he\u2019ll finish that contract out, the GM himself indicated late in the season<\/a> that all of his conversations with Nutting have focused on how they can improve the club for 2027 and beyond. Manager Don Kelly, meanwhile, was only in his first full season on the job in 2026. He\u2019s expected back, too.<\/p>\n Much of Kelly\u2019s roster in 2027 will look the same. Griffin will return at shortstop. Spencer Horwitz<\/a> and Ryan O\u2019Hearn<\/a> will have first base and designated hitter covered. O\u2019Hearn will probably see some time in the outfield corners, but the outfield has Bryan Reynolds<\/a>, Oneil Cruz<\/a> and breakout slugger Esmerlyn Valdez<\/a>, with former top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia<\/a> still on the periphery of the group. Endy Rodriguez<\/a> looked to be breaking out behind the plate before hip surgery ended his season. Nick Gonzales<\/a> had a career-best season at the hot corner and can handle that position or slide over to second base, depending on what happens with the team\u2019s most notable free agent: Brandon Lowe<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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