Jason Mackey: With Eugenio Suarez off the board, Pirates' offseason activity about to pick up

Jason Mackey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Feb 3, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — Although it did not go in their favor, a key domino in the Pittsburgh Pirates offseason fell Sunday night.

Eugenio Suarez, a third baseman with the sixth-most home runs in MLB since 2018 (261), signed with the NL Central rival Cincinnati Reds for one year, $15 million, along with a mutual option for 2027.

According to sources, the Pirates offered the same amount of money to Suarez and were willing to go higher, both in terms average annual value and tacking on a second guaranteed year.

However, Suarez chose returning to one of his former teams due to ballpark fit, familiarity and a chance to cash in on a big season next winter.

The possibility of a Suarez deal had the Pirates in a holding pattern. Now, they regain the momentum they built in December and complete their offseason.

First order of business, they need a bat. One at least reasonably similar to that of Suarez.

Yes, they also need to sign a starting pitcher, preferably a lefty and certainly someone who can eat innings, but their focus needs to be adding another middle-of-the-lineup hitter — and a target for them may surprise you.

Marcell Ozuna is a three-time All-Star and was worth 4.3 wins above replacement (Baseball Reference) for the Braves in 2024. However, he's coming off a down year in 2025, and the Pirates could pivot to try and sign one of the game's best designated hitters.

During that 2024 campaign, Ozuna appeared in all 162 games and hit .302, and produced a .925 that included 39 homers. He drove in 100 or more runs (104) for a second consecutive season.

During a two-year stretch from 2023-24, Ozuna hit 79 home runs and was worth 7.8 bWAR.

The gamble is that Ozuna is 35 and saw a fairly steep decline in his performance this past season, hitting .232 in 145 games with a .756 OPS that included 21 home runs.

It's not bad but also not enough for someone who made $16 million and could get around that in free agency.

Signing Ozuna would almost assuredly close the door on Andrew McCutchen's time in Pittsburgh, while there's also a tough fit.

Ozuna would DH pretty much every day. Ryan O'Hearn would bounce between left field and first base, which could compromise playing time for Spencer Horwitz and Jake Mangum.

It's also not prohibitive. However it happens, the Pirates must do more to improve their offense.

Which is why they could also go the trade route and specifically target a third baseman such as Alec Bohm (Phillies), Josh Jung (Rangers), Isaac Paredes (Astros) or one of two players from the Mets, Brett Baty or Mark Vientos.

Bohm was an All-Star in 2024, when he hit .280 with a .779 OPS during a 3.0 bWAR season. He's in his final year of arbitration and will make $10.2 million.

Jung comes with more team control but additional risk. He was an All-Star in '23, hitting 23 home runs and posting a .781 OPS as a rookie, but he's been hurt and has a .693 OPS the past two seasons.

Paredes, who may be pushed out of a regular spot with Carlos Correa moving to third, hit 20 homers and finished with an .809 OPS last season.

The downside is that, like Suarez, he's a right-handed bat whose power may be swallowed up by PNC Park and the North Side Notch.

With Bo Bichette signings with the Mets, Vientos and Baty could also be available — and they offer different fits.

Vientos is another bounce-back candidate after hitting .223 with a .702 OPS in 121 games in 2025. Certainly not ideal.

But he was excellent in 2024, homering 27 times and producing an .837 OPS amid a 3.1 bWAR season. He has some position flexibility. He's also a righty who does more than simply hit homers.

Baty has more recent production, with a 3.1 bWAR and .748 OPS last year. He's also another lefty with just 33 career homers.

Bottom line, the Pirates know they need to keep going.

But they had to honor the Suarez offer, leaving open the possibility he could take it. But for those on the outside wanting Saurez to sign, I don't get the sense anything was ever terribly close.

Payroll-wise, the Pirates are around $95 million at the moment. With the addition of a third baseman, a pitcher and potentially McCutchen, it could finish in the $105-$110 million range.

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