3 free agents coming off injury-plagued seasons the Pirates should sign

Jonathan Loaisiga

The last two seasons haven't been too kind to Jonathan Loaisiga. He's only pitched 20 innings, and while he has been effective when he's been able to take the mound, that has unfortunately not occurred very often. Last season, Loaisiga only appeared in a trio of games with four frames, but the flamethrowing right-hander is the definition of effective when healthy.

Since the start of 2021, Loaisiga has had a 2.89 ERA, 3.16 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP in 140.1 IP. Strikeouts aren't Loaisiga's forte; he has just a 20% K% in that time. Still, he limits walks at a good rate, with just a 6.4% free pass percentage, as well as home runs, with an 0.51 HR/9 rate. 

Loaisiga also rarely allows opponents to hit him hard. His exit velocity and barrel rate sit at 84.1 MPH and 2.4%. The right-handed reliever continues to make opponents hit the ball into the ground with a GB% approaching 60% at 59.2%. Among pitchers with at least 140 innings out of the pen since 2021, Loaisiga has the second-best exit velo, best barrel rate, and eighth-best ground ball percentage. 

When Loaisiga is healthy enough, he's able to crank the heat up. His sinker averaged out at 97.9 MPH in the few games he was able to play in 2024 That just about matches what he's consistently averaged with his sinker since moving to the bullpen full-time in '21. His go-to breaking pitch is an upper-80s curveball, and his primary offspeed offering is a changeup that sits around 90 MPH. Loaisiga has also displayed decent command over his pitch mix.

Loaisiga had UCL surgery in early April of 2024, but did not require Tommy John surgery, instead opting for an alternate procedure performed by Dr. Keith Meister (likely an internal brace). He should be ready by April, if not slightly thereafter.

He turned 30 earlier this month, and he'd definitely be worth the Pirates' time. He'll likely sign a low-cost contract, given his last two seasons. The Pirates need bullpen help and any arm can help out, especially one like Loaisiga. If Loaisiga is healthy enough to take the mound for 50-60 innings, the Pirates will get an excellent reliever out of the deal.

Tyler O'Neill

Every Pirates fan would love to see Tyler O'Neill in black and gold when spring training rolls around, but it must be noted the slugger has been susceptible to injuries in his career. He played less than 100 games in each of 2022 and 2023, and only played 113 games with 473 at-bats during 2024. Thankfully, O'Neill hit very well when he was healthy enough to step into the batter's box.

Last season with Boston, O’Neill hit .241/.336/.511 with a .360 wOBA, and 131 wRC+. Power is the name of O'Neill's game. He smacked 31 long balls with a .270 isolated slugging percentage. That was the fifth-highest in baseball among players with at least 450 plate appearances, with three of the names ahead of O'Neill being MVP finalists: Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and Juan Soto.

O'Neill's power output was so high because he ripped the cover off the ball. His 17.3% barrel rate was also the fifth-best in the game. The same three MVP finalists ranked ahead of O'Neill in this department. O'Neill also drew walks at a career-best 11.6% rate, but that came at the cost of his strikeout rate, something he did about a third of the time (33.6% K%) last season.

O'Neill had an abnormally poor season with the glove. He had +1 defensive run saved, but -4 outs above average. Plus, he recorded a below-average jump at 32.2 feet. Luckily, that's not the norm for O'Neill. He has +25 DRS and +8 OAA for his career; perhaps Fenway Park played a role here. Despite his missteps, O'Neill's powerful arm still deserves plaudits, and he was in the 82nd percentile of average throw speed for position players last year. O'Neill has previously been awarded two Gold Gloves for his efforts on the defensive side of the ball.

O'Neill is easily the highest-profile name on this list, and the Pirates could very much use his bat and glove in an outfield corner next year. MLB Trade Rumors estimates O'Neill will sign a three-year deal worth $42 million ($14 million AAV). It's time for the Pirates to get serious about free agents and adding players, and signing O'Neill, despite his injury-plagued season, would certainly be a statement to that effect.