Seattle Mariners’ Eugenio Suárez reacts after hitting a home run in a baseball game against the Texas Rangers, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
The Pittsburgh Pirates had interest in Japanese third baseman Kazuma Okamoto but their efforts to land him came up short. Okamoto signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend.
Okamoto’s decision leaves the Pirates with an opening at third base that still should be filled. The most obvious in-house option his Jared Triolo, who might better be served in a utility role or at shortstop until top prospect Konnor Griffin is deemed ready.
Despite adding Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn as part of their efforts to improve an abysmal offense from a season ago, the Pirates should still be looking to add to the lineup. Though some potential options are off the board, there are still a handful of players who make sense for Pittsburgh.
Eugenio Suárez
Suárez is by far the top third baseman still available in free agency for the Pirates. The 34-year-old possesses plenty of power. He finished fifth in baseball with 49 home runs, which tied a career-high, and he ranked fourth with 118 RBI on the season.
Suárez is a 12-year veteran who has a career .246/.328/.464 batting line with 325 home runs and 949 RBI in 1,630 games between four teams.
With Suárez, there will be plenty of strikeouts and suspect defense at the hot corner, but his power would have a major impact on a team that finished last in home runs in 2025.
Yoán Moncada
A cheaper free agent alternative to Suárez would be Moncado, who could be half of a platoon as a left-handed complement to pair with Triolo.
Injuries limited Moncada to 84 games in his first season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2025, but he performed well when healthy. The 30-year-old slashed .234/.336/.448 with 13 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 35 RBI.
Moncada originally signed with the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 2015 when Ben Cherington was general manager.
Alec Bohm
There aren’t many more obvious potential trade candidates than Bohm, who has spent his entire six-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies after he was drafted third overall in 2018.
Bohm had a solid 2025 season but wasn’t able to replicate his All-Star campaign from 2024. In 120 games this past season, the 29-year-old slashed .287/.331/.409 with 18 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs and 59 RBI.
Bohm is projected to earn $10.3 million in his final year of arbitration. As a one-year rental, it wouldn’t take a ton for the Pirates to land him in a trade.
Josh Jung
The Rangers might not be eager to move Jung, but it could behoove the Pirates to at least make a call.
Jung, a first-round draft pick in 2019, completed his fourth season with the Texas Rangers in 2025 and slashed .251/.294/.390 with 23 doubles, a triples, 14 home runs and 61 RBI in 131 games. He wan an All-Star and finished fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year race in 2023.
The 27-year-old (28 next month) is projected to earn roughly $3 million in 2026. It will take more assets to Jung him in a trade compared to Bohm, but he wouldn’t put as big a dent in the Pirates’ payroll.
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