Wyatt Sanford, the Pirates' No. 5 prospect, is leading the Arizona Fall League group: .275, .814 OPS and a 454-foot homer on Oct. 23. Easton Carmichael is just 3-for-30 as nine Pirates prospects play for the league-worst Glendale Desert Dogs (6-14). 🌵
Edward Florentino slots No. 2 on PBN's Pirates prospect list. The 19-year-old hit 24 homers with High-A Greensboro, 27 total across levels, tied for most among teenage prospects, with a .358 OBP. The 26% strikeout rate and 10 steals keep it interesting. 💣
Re-signing Brandon Lowe and Gregory Soto could cost the Pirates about $67M, per Jim Bowden's projections (3 yrs/$45M and 2 yrs/$22M). That's heavy spending just to hold steady after an 82-80 season. Lowe's 35 HR make him the priority; Soto is the murkier call. 💰
Brandon Lowe, a pending free agent after hitting 35 homers (most among MLB second basemen) with 96 RBI for Pittsburgh, is pitched as a fit for Toronto's left-handed power need. It's speculation, but the Pirates' exclusive negotiating window just opened. 🔎
Jim Bowden projects Brandon Lowe at just three years, $45M (about $15M a year), well below Spotrac's $68.4M. If the market softens that much, Pittsburgh, listed among his best fits, would have little excuse not to re-sign its 35-homer second baseman. 💰
Pirates passed on Matt Arnold in 2019 and hired Ben Cherington. Arnold's Brewers just won the World Series, while Pittsburgh still awaits a postseason berth under Cherington. The bigger issue: Milwaukee built the small-market model Pittsburgh keeps chasing. 🔍
Brewers and Rays won with bottom-half payrolls, and the Pirates sit between them at $106.7M (23rd) after an 82-80 season. A bit more spending on the lineup could push Pittsburgh toward its first playoff berth since 2015. 🔭
Esmerlyn Valdez is healthy after a hamstring injury and plans Dominican winter ball. His 2026 line: 17 HR, .232/.345/.510 in 72 games. But 108 strikeouts in 287 PAs leave contact questions as Pittsburgh shapes its 2027 outfield plans. 🔨
Pirates gave 2026 second-rounder Aiden Ruiz a $3.5M bonus, $1.2M over slot, despite Konnor Griffin and Wyatt Sanford at short. Ruiz, 19, is a slick glove ranked No. 6 in the system. Shortstop depth is the plan, not a logjam. 🧢
Pirates' offseason starts after an 82-80 finish, their first winning season since 2018. Free agency opens Nov. 2, Brandon Lowe is expected to get a qualifying offer (deadline Nov. 17), and a lockout looms as the CBA expires. 🔒
The Pirates' new Forge High Performance Camp puts about 30 prospects through four weeks at Pirate City. Since Oct. 18 they've done daily weight and agility work, plus nutrition and mental-skills sessions, before shifting to hitting and throwing progressions. 💪
Murf Gray, PBN's No. 3 Pirates prospect, hit .305/.402/.567 with 32 homers and 97 RBI across three levels, up to Double-A Altoona. With third base unsettled, he could reach Pittsburgh in 2027, though his glove (12 errors at third) needs work. 🔨
Jim Bowden projects Gregory Soto returning to the Pirates on a two-year, $22M deal, naming them his only best fit. Soto posted a 3.63 ERA and 16 saves in 2026 but blew six of 22 chances, so $11M a year for that volatility draws skepticism. 🔥
After an 82-80 finish, one writer argues the Pirates should add a veteran starter to a young rotation. Nick Martinez and Michael King are floated as free-agent targets, with the front office urged to finally spend. 💰
Nolan Arenado is floated as a possible Pirates third base fit, but it's only an analyst's idea, with no reported talks with Arizona. His 30 homers and .806 OPS in 2026 stand out, though his contract, trade protection and Arizona's asking price are the catch.
Pirates' 2026 offense hit a franchise-record 186 homers but fell one strikeout shy of the record (1,505). Second-round pick Chris Rembert, a contact-first 2B, hit .284/.415/.343 at Low-A Bradenton and could help balance the lineup. ⚖️
Skenes' ERA rose from 1.97 to 3.82 in 2026, yet his fastball still missed bats (29.7% whiff rate vs. 29.6%) despite dipping to 96.8 mph. Slugging against it climbed to .417 and his changeup whiffs fell, so velocity alone doesn't explain it. 🔍
Mitch Keller's 2026 ended with a Grade 3 teres major strain, reportedly, but no surgery is needed. He's due to resume throwing late this month after a 5.29 ERA in 22 starts. With $38MM left through two more years, a trade market looks thin. 🩹
Brewers-Rays "Small Market World Series" doesn't change the case for a salary cap/floor, the argument goes. Pittsburgh, a small market, is cited as a team left out of the trophy conversation, while the Rays dealt Brandon Lowe to the Pirates. 🧢
The Pirates are reportedly hiring Astros Triple-A pitching coach Sean Buchanan, the third Houston-linked arm of their pitching infrastructure after Bill Murphy and Thomas Whitsett. After a disappointing 2026 staff, the Astros-style blueprint is expanding. 🔧
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