The Associated Press
Ryan O’Hearn (center) was added to the Pirates’ lineup that includes Bryan Reynolds (10) and Jared Triolo (19).

After two consecutive disappointing seasons in which their offensive struggles were the primary culprit for last-place finishes in the National League’s Central Division, the Pittsburgh Pirates had their work cut out for them this offseason, and they knew painfully well that massively overhauling their languid offense was a top priority.

That’s easier said than done in a very competitive Major League Baseball marketplace, but Pirates general manager Ben Cherington was one of MLB’s busiest front-office executives this past winter, and made several key acquisitions to bolster the Bucs’ offense.

Veterans Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn, two 2025 American League All-Stars, came to the Pirates via trade and free agency, respectively, and later in the winter, the Pirates signed free agent veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna.

Lowe (31 home runs and 83 RBIs last year with the Tampa Bay Rays), O’Hearn (17 homers, 68 RBIs in split duty with the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres) and Ozuna (21 home runs, 68 RBIs with the Atlanta Braves) are being looked to by the Pirates to jump start an offense that finished last in the NL last year for the second straight season in most key offensive categories, including runs scored (583), home runs (117) and team batting average (.232).

Despite having one of MLB’s better pitching staffs — fronted by NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes — the Pirates finished with a 71-91 record and in last place in the NL Central for the second straight season and out of the playoff picture for the 10th consecutive season.

This past offseason was the most crucial in Cherington’s now seven-year tenure as GM with the Bucs, whose disgruntled and angry fan base was clamoring for big changes last fall.

The situation called for the Pirates to take some drastic offseason measures, and after largely standing pat during the previous offseason, the Bucs and Cherington pulled off some aggressive transactions this past winter.

As a result, Pittsburgh — which opens its season at Citi Field against the New York Mets Thursday afternoon — is regarded as one of MLB’s most improved teams, and both FanGraphs and the Pecota Projections peg the Pirates as being a legitimate contender for a NL Wild Card playoff berth.

Lowe signed a one-year, $11 million contract with the Pirates after coming off a very strong season with Tampa Bay. He came to the Pirates as the centerpiece in a three-team deal that also had the Bucs acquiring outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed relief pitcher Mason Montgomery.

Lowe, who will start at second base, has played only one series at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park in his career, but is relishing the park’s hitter-friendly dimensions for left-handed sluggers.

“The dimensions of the ballpark play into where my power alleys lie,” Lowe said in December. “There’s something about seeing a ball going flying into the (Allegheny) River that seems very, very exciting.”

Along with playing second base, the 31-year-old Lowe also has the capability to play in the outfield or fill the designated hitter spot.

“One thing that I was taught in Tampa is that if you can play anywhere, it keeps you in the lineup,” Lowe said.

Lowe is excited about the Pirates’ prospects to make a postseason run this year.

“I feel like there’s a real opportunity there for a deep push and some playoff baseball in Pittsburgh,” Lowe — who was a member of five postseason teams from 2019 to 2023 in Tampa Bay, including a World Series with the Rays during the 2020 season, said. “The pitching staff is legit, and there are some extremely talented guys here who can hit and play the field.”

Being a postseason veteran, Lowe will bring a sense of what that background is all about to this year’s Pittsburgh clubhouse.

“With everything that we know about Brandon as a teammate, as a competitor and about his personal character, we believe that he will be a strong fit in our clubhouse,” Cherington said. “We’re excited to add him to the team, and to the lineup.”

The Pirates broke tradition with the signing of O’Hearn, who became the first Pirates position player to sign a multi-year contract since John Jaso signed a two-year deal prior to the 2016 season. O’Hearn signed with the Pirates this past winter for two years and $29 million total.

O’Hearn’s versatility will be a major asset for the Pirates. He has played first base, both corner outfield positions and has been a designated hitter in his career.

“We’re really excited about this,” Cherington said at a press conference at PNC Park following O’Hearn’s signing. “We appreciate Ryan’s faith in jumping on board, and look forward to a lot of fun nights with him this summer.

O’Hearn is approaching his arrival in Pittsburgh with a sense of anticipation that equals Cherington’s.

“I couldn’t be any more excited to be a Pirate,” O’Hearn said. “I’ve done my research, and it’s a team that can pitch, and it’s a team that has been one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender. And (helping the Pirates contend for the postseason is what) I’m here to do.”

Ozuna’s signing as a designated hitter should add further thump to the Pirates’ batting order, although it put an end to the organization’s affiliation with 39-year-old franchise icon Andrew McCutchen.

Ozuna is just two seasons removed from having compiled some prolific offensive numbers. He belted 39 homers and drove in 104 runs with the Braves in 2024, after hitting 40 home runs and driving in 100 runs with Atlanta in 2023.

The injection of offense gives manager Don Kelly much more to work with this season.

The Pirates also created organizational stability for the 2026 season by extending Kelly’s contract following the 2025 season.

Reynolds, Cruz playing vital roles

With the signings of Lowe and O’Hearn, and the acquisition of promising youngster Jhostynxon Garcia in a trade with Boston, the Pirates bolstered their offense for an outfield that had posed some question marks after the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Garcia was optioned to the Pirates’ Class AAA affiliate Indianapolis to start this season, however, and Billy Cook will be part of the Pirates’ outfield mix, as will Mangum.

Steady veteran outfielder Bryan Reynolds had a subpar overall season last year, hitting 16 home runs and driving in 73 runs while batting .245, and he also struck out 173 times in 587 plate appearances.

Oneil Cruz, who started his career at shortstop but has since been moved to center field, is a true enigma. Offensively, Cruz — who belted 20 homers and drove in 61 runs last year — is capable of hitting tape-measure home runs that make him a threat every time that he steps to the plate. On the flip side, he batted only .200 a year ago, while striking out 174 times in 471 at-bats, which amounted to over 36 percent of his plate appearances.

Defensively, Cruz has made some highlight-reel catches and throws, but he has also committed sandlot-type blunders that bring about speculation as to how dialed in to the game that he is or is not at any given moment.

A bounce-back year from Reynolds, and overall improvement from Cruz, will be factors in determining the Pirates’ overall fortunes in 2026.

Griffin’s anticipated debut

Shortstop Konnor Griffin is a prized prospect who lived up to his billing as a 19-year-old phenom in 2025, when he earned recognition as the Minor League Baseball Player of the Year and worked himself up from the low Class A to the Class AA level while performing for three different teams, including the Altoona Curve.

Griffin is a five-tool talent who was widely considered good enough to break camp and head north with the Pirates at the conclusion of spring training, and he’s regarded as a can’t-miss prospect who is expected to make significant contributions at the major league level for years to come.

After an up-and-down spring training in which he belted four home runs but hit only .171, Griffin was assigned to Indianapolis to begin this season. But he’s expected to be part of the Pirates’ plans this season at some point, and the Griffin watch adds further excitement to a 2026 season outlook for the Bucs that already appears to be quite interesting.

Another former highly-touted prospect, versatile veteran Nick Gonzalez, has the ability to play several different infield positions, including shortstop, and he also carries a solid RBI bat. Gonzales and Nick Yorke will get playing time at third base to start this season, and former NL Gold Glove recipient Jared Triolo will be the Bucs’ starting shortstop for the time being.

The acquisition of O’Hearn could reduce the playing time for left-handed batting first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who hit 11 home runs and drove in 51 runs while batting .272 in just 108 games for the Bucs last year following a late start due to an injury.

Question marks still loom

The Pirates enter the 2026 season unsettled offensively at the shortstop, catching and third base positions.

Triolo is an excellent glove guy but hit only seven home runs and drove in 24 runs with a .227 batting average last season, despite making some improvements at the plate later in the season.

Gonzales — a 2020 first-round draft pick — is a solid hitter and run producer, and Yorke can swing the bat decently as well, although neither will provide the type of power numbers that most teams look for out of the third base position.

Behind the plate, catcher Henry Davis has excelled defensively, but his offensive numbers have been woeful, despite the fact that the Pirates took him as the top pick in the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft.

In 87 games played last season, Davis batted just .167 with only seven home runs and just 22 RBIs.

Veteran Joey Bart, who was one of the Pirates’ biggest bright spots in 2024 after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants, slipped considerably at the plate last season, when he hit just four home runs after belting 14 the year before.

Endy Rodriquez has been challenged by elbow injuries that required him to undergo two different surgeries, and cost him the entire 2024 season after a somewhat promising MLB debut in 2023. Rodriquez will start this season at Indianapolis, as will young catcher Rafael Flores, who was acquired by the Bucs from the New York Mets late last season.

Raising the bar

With the collective bargaining agreement between MLB players and owners due to expire this December, and a 2027 MLB work stoppage a strong possibility, there is even more urgency than usual for the Pirates to make significant strides this season.

A winning season — which is something that the Pirates haven’t accomplished since 2018 — is a minimal expectation, but breaking out of a postseason drought that has now reached 10 seasons is also a realistic goal for the Bucs.

For that to happen, the pitching staff must continue to progress, and the Pirates’ offense — with the emphasis on the new acquisitions — must improve substantially.

There is more interest surrounding the Pirates entering this season than in any year since 2015, when the Bucs won 98 regular-season games and earned their last Wild Card playoff berth.

And accompanying that interest are naturally high expectations that only time will tell whether the Pirates can actually fulfill.

John Hartsock can be reached at jhartsock@altoonamirror.com.