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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are now officially in the offseason, and it's one that is huge for the franchise.
The Pirates clinched their first winning season since 2018, going 82-80 in 2026, but missed the playoffs for the 11th straight year.
Pittsburgh had to watch their National League Central Division foe and fellow small-market ball club, the Milwaukee Brewers, win the World Series for the first time in their franchise's history.
The Pirates haven't been anywhere near a World Series in decades, but this offseason and the events that take place could put them closer to achieving that goal.
The Pirates have two free agents in second baseman Brandon Lowe and left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto, who became free agents at 9:00 a.m. on Oct. 29.
Lowe and Soto can't talk with other teams yet, as the Pirates have five days of exclusive negotiating with them.
Don't expect either Lowe or Soto to re-sign with the Pirates at this point, as both will almost certainly see what they're worth on the free agent market.
The Pirates can now also trade with any team for the first time since the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Lowe and Soto will now have the opportunity, after the five-day period, to negotiate contracts with other teams.
The Pirates themselves can take this opportunity to look at free agents they desire and start working to sign them.
Pittsburgh will most likely give Lowe the qualifying offer, which they must do by Nov. 2.
The qualifying offer is a one-year, $23.15 million offer for 2027, which would keep Lowe with the Pirates for next season if he signed.
Lowe, if the Pirates offer him a qualifying offer, has until 4 p.m. (EST) on Nov. 17 to accept or reject it.
If he rejects the offer, and he signs somewhere else, the Pirates will earn a compensatory pick in the 2027 MLB Draft.
Teams can also earn more international signing bonus money if a qualifying offer is rejected and the player signs elsewhere.
The Pirates have to add players they want to protect from the Rule 5 Draft to the 40-man roster by Nov. 17, otherwise, they expose them to being taken by the other 29 MLB teams.
MLB teams that take a player in the Rule 5 Draft must keep that player on the 26-man roster and cannot just send them down to the minor leagues.
Players that are eligible were 18 or younger on June 5 when they signed, and this serving as the fifth Rule 5 draft afterwards or 19 or older on June 5 when they signed and this serving as their fourth Rule 5 draft following.
This would essentially be players from the 2022 International Signing Period and high school draftees from 2022, or college draftees from 2023.
Pittsburgh has a few interesting decisions, with eligible players like right-handed pitcher Derek Diamond, outfielders Mitch Jebb and Lonnie White Jr., catcher Axiel Plaz, third baseman Jhonny Severino and shortstop Yordanny De Los Santos.
The Pirates have 38 players on their 40-man roster, so they can add two players without consequence, but any more means they have to designate someone for assignment.
The Pirates have to tender contracts to all of their arbitration/pre-arbitration-eligible players by Nov. 20.
Pittsburgh has 10 arbitration-eligible players and 22 pre-arbitration-eligible players.
If the Pirates choose not to tender a contract, then that player would become a free agent.
The Pirates don't have to sign players by this time, but they must offer them a contract if they do want to keep them around for 2027.
The Pirates have two players up for a National League Gold Glove Award in 2026: Lowe and utility man Jared Triolo.
Lowe goes up against NL Central Divisional foes in Milwaukee Brewers' Brice Turang and St. Louis Cardinals rookie JJ Wetherholt, while Triolo is taking on Atlanta Braves' Mauricio Dubón and Arizona Diamondbacks' Ildemaro Vargas.
MLB will unveil their winners for the biggest awards during this week, honoring the best in the game.
The Pirates won't have a Rookie or Manager of the Year, a Cy Young Award winner nor an MVP either, with finalists announced on Nov. 2.
Pittsburgh does have five players up for the All-MLB teams, including right-handed starting pitchers Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft, left-handed relief pitcher and star closer Mason Montgomery, third baseman Nick Gonzales and Lowe.
The All-MLB teams, Reliever of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year will be announced on Nov. 11.
Silver Slugger Award finalists are also named on Nov. 2, so the Pirates could have a winner there too.
Two important meetings will take place in November in back-to-back weeks, which have big offseason ramifications.
The general manager meetings in Las Vegas, Nov. 10-12, will serve as an important time for front offices to start making moves with each other, but that doesn't necessarily mean that deals will take place at this time.
The owner meetings in New York City, Nov. 17-19, aren't as interesting, but generally take care of different MLB business.
It will be the last big chance for the owners to discuss how they approach a potential lockout and what they do going forward.
The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the owners and MLBPA (players' union) expires at midnight on Dec. 2, or rather, on Dec. 1.
When it expires, the owners will lock out the players, and all transactions and communications between the sides will halt. So no trades, free-agent signings, 40-man roster moves, etc.
Both sides could avoid this if they agree to a new CBA before the current one expires, but they have been going at each other for more than a year now and will each look to take this far into the offseason.
Skenes is a part of the MLBPA eight-player executive subcommittee, and catcher Henry Davis is the Pirates' MLBPA representative.
There are events that would normally take place during the winter that won't happen if there is no new CBA in place.
Event |
Date |
|---|---|
Competitive Balance Picks Signed |
Early December |
Winter Meetings |
Dec. 7-9 (San Diego) |
Draft Lottery |
Dec. 8 |
Rule 5 Draft |
Dec. 9 |
Arbitration Filing Deadline |
Jan. 8 |
International Signing Period Opens |
Jan. 15 |
Arbitration Hearings |
Late January through February |
The Winter Meetings are normally where signings/trades/deals get underway and even occur, but with no CBA, that won't happen.
It also would mean no Rule 5 Draft and no Draft Lottery, which would make the Pirates ineligible to have a top six selection, after doing so for the past two seasons.
Arbitration hearings and moves will also be affected, and the International Signing Period opening could be as well.
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