ESPN: Pirates ready to spend in free agency
Kyle Schwarber reportedly one of Pittsburgh’s free agent targets
BASE. WELL, WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH SOME PIRATES FANS WHO SAY IT WAS A TOUGH SEASON SUPPORTING THE TEAM, AND THEY DON’T SEE ANY REASON RIGHT NOW THAT CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD CHANGE NEXT YEAR, EVEN WITH SOME OF THE TEAM’S SUCCESSES. I THINK IT SHOWS THAT YOU’RE REWARDING MEDIOCRITY, WHICH IS TOUGH TO TOUGH TO HANDLE, TOUGH TO ACCEPT AS A FAN. ONE DAY AFTER FINISHING THE 2025 SEASON WITH A 7191 RECORD, THE PIRATES EXTENDED MANAGER DON KELLY, WHO TOOK OVER ON MAY 8TH. THE TEAM FINISHED 59 AND 65 UNDER KELLY. SOME FANS TELL US THEY’RE NOT IMPRESSED TO AN EXTENT. A CONTRACT OF A POOR PERFORMER DOESN’T MEAN DOESN’T SEEM TO ME TO PASS THE SMELL TEST. SO I WOULD ASK MR. NUTTING, WHY DO YOU KEEP HIRING BAD PEOPLE TO DO A POOR PERFORMANCE? BECAUSE YOU’RE GETTING THE SAME RESULT OF INSANITY. PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS FOUR EXCLUSIVELY SPOKE TO KELLY LAST WEEK BEFORE HIS OFFICIAL EXTENSION. HE TOLD US THEN, I THINK THAT WE’VE GOTTEN INTO SOME GOOD PROCESSES AND HAVE GOTTEN BETTER IN SOME AREAS, STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF OFFENSIVELY CONTINUING TO GET BETTER AND THE PITCHING SIDE HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD AND THE PITCHING WAS GOOD. THEY LED ALL OF BASEBALL IN SHUTOUTS AND HAD THE THIRD LOWEST ERA IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE. BUT THE TWO TEAMS ABOVE AND BELOW THEM ON THAT LIST ARE PLAYING OCTOBER BASEBALL. I THINK THE MANAGER IS OKAY, BUT THEY NEED TO GET A NEW OWNER. THE OWNER IS JUST GREEDY AND HE NEEDS TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON THE TEAM AND NOT GET GET RID OF ALL OUR GOOD PLAYERS. IN A STATEMENT TODAY, OWNER BOB NUTTING SAID IN PART, QUOTE, THIS SEASON WE FELL WELL SHORT AS AN ORGANIZATION BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD, ADDING TODAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF DONNIE IS THE FIRST OF MANY STEPS WE WILL TAKE THIS OFFSEASON TO BRING WINNING BASEBALL BACK TO PITTSBURGH. I’M 30 YEARS OLD. I’VE HEARD THAT EVERY YEAR OF MY LIFE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD SOME SUCCESS DECADE OR SO AGO, BUT IT’S BEEN TOUGH SLEDDING SINCE THEN AND HARD TO SAY. IT’S GOING TO TURN OUT ANYTIME SOON. WITH BASEBALL SEASON NOW OVER, PITTSBURGH FANS HOPING FOR SOME MORE SUCCESS WITH THEIR STEELERS AND PENGUINS. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY AT P
ESPN: Pirates ready to spend in free agency
Kyle Schwarber reportedly one of Pittsburgh’s free agent targets
Updated: 3:56 PM EST Nov 19, 2025
It has been more than a decade since the Pittsburgh Pirates handed out their largest free agent contract — $39 million for Francisco Liriano in 2014.ESPN reports that the Pirates are ready to loosen up the purse strings, saying the team is one of the suitors for slugger Kyle Schwarber — and that they were about to offer double that record $39 million to Josh Naylor before the first baseman re-signed with the Seattle Mariners.Schwarber, 32, led the National League with 56 home runs and 132 RBI for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025.VIDEO BELOW: Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin is quickly rising through the minor leagues
PITTSBURGH —
It has been more than a decade since the Pittsburgh Pirates handed out their largest free agent contract — $39 million for Francisco Liriano in 2014.
ESPN reports that the Pirates are ready to loosen up the purse strings, saying the team is one of the suitors for slugger Kyle Schwarber — and that they were about to offer double that record $39 million to Josh Naylor before the first baseman re-signed with the Seattle Mariners.
Schwarber, 32, led the National League with 56 home runs and 132 RBI for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2025.
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News in the offseason preview: Not only are the Pittsburgh Pirates going to spend this winter, they’re strongly considering giving the No. 1 prospect in baseball, 19-year-old Konnor Griffin, the opportunity to win their Opening Day shortstop job. Details: https://t.co/wCaimtSPZ9
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 18, 2025
VIDEO BELOW: Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin is quickly rising through the minor leagues