4 players with options the Pittsburgh Pirates should monitor

The offseason is quickly approaching. At the end of this year's Postseason, teams will soon need to figure out which players on club options they should bring back, let go in free agency, or buy out. The same goes for players weighing their player options. Once these get resolved, the free agent market can further expand.

There are definitely some players the Pittsburgh Pirates should keep an eye on who are currently tied to options. If they reach free agency, they should be on the Pirates' radar as they fill holes and reinforce current weak points. The Pirates should go after these four players if they hit the open market.

Ryan O'Hearn

Ryan O'Hearn was one of the worst hitters in baseball heading into 2023. After a hot start to his career with the Kansas City Royals in 2018, O'Hearn went on to bat just .211/.282/.351 with a .275 wOBA and 68 wRC+ in 901 plate appearances from 2019-2022. The Baltimore Orioles then acquired him for cash, DFA'd him just days after the trade, and despite all of that, O'Hearn put together two very solid seasons for the O's.

O'Hearn has batted .275/.329/.450 with a .334 wOBA and 119 wRC+ since joining the Orioles. He struck out over 26% of the time with the Royals, but has K'd in just 17.5% of his plate appearances with the Orioles. O'Hearn greatly improved his plate discipline from 2023 to 2024, going from a 22.3% strikeout rate from his first year in Baltimore to just 14%, while his walk rate more than doubled, rising from just 4.1% to 9.3%. On top of all that, Hearn has hit for above-average power, with 29 homers over his last 862 plate appearances and a .175 isolated slugging percentage.

O'Hearn's numbers under the hood were also promising. He was above the 80th percentile in each of xwOBA (.352), xBA (.280), and xSLG% (.467). The slugger also saw his chase rate go from the 33rd percentile last year to the 65th percentile, while his whiff rate dropped from 23.3% to just 18.8%.

O'Hearn split his time at first base and designated hitter, with a handful of games in the corner outfield. He is not considered a particularly great defensive first baseman, with -2 outs above average at the position this year, but he did grade out positively last season with +4 OAA. First base is his best position, but he can play an outfield corner when needed.

The only knock on O'Hearn are his platoon splits. He batted .264/.338/.439 with a 123 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, but O'Hearn slashed just .262/.295/.310 with a 75 wRC+ when tasked with facing a southpaw. The Orioles maximized his value against right-handed pitching, as over 90% of his plate appearances came against opposite-handed hurlers. 

Notably, O'Hearn could also benefit from a move away from Camden Yards. In the last two seasons, he has a 91 and 103 wRC+ at home in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Onn the road, he has wRC+ marks of 142 and 134. PNC Park is also considered more hitter friendly for left-handed batters compared to Camden.

O'Hearn has a club option worth $8 million with no buyout. The Orioles have myriad infielders, so they might forgo the club option for a platoon first baseman, even if said platoon first baseman is decent. If O'Hearn hits the free agent market, the Pirates need to jump all over this opportunity.