8 recently non-tendered players who'd be perfect additions to Pirates depth chart

For an organization on a budget like the Pittsburgh Pirates, the non-tender deadline is like Christmas. While many of the guys cut loose this time of year don't have much to offer, there are a select few who stand out like gems.

As the Pirates scour the latest additions to the free-agent crop, there are three types of players who will draw their attention: young players who once showed flashes and can maybe regain their form in a new environment, veterans who can help now and possibly be flipped at the trade deadline, and a handful of guys who sort of have a foot in both camps.

Since Pittsburgh is surprisingly raising its budget for 2026 by $30-40 million, the club might not need to dip into this pool as much as they have in the past, but these eight non-tender casualties stand out as guys who would be perfect targets.

These eight recent non-tender casualties would be perfect Pirates' additions

Outfielder JJ Bleday

JJ Bleday is the picture-perfect example of a young player who has shown flashes, but got squeezed out by his current club. Simply put, the Athletics had too many outfielders, and the former fourth overall pick's failure to build on his 120 wRC+ 2024 campaign in 2025 made him a victim of the crunch.

For a club that needs offense anywhere they can get it, it sure seemed like the Pirates and Athletics could line up as trade partners, but the way things worked out is even better. At 28, Bleday could either be part of the Pirates' future if he turns things back around or a prime trade candidate, making this a no-brainer type of pickup.

Outfielder Christopher Morel

Similar to Bleday, Christopher Morel was once a promising young player who has fallen on hard times recently. His 2023 campaign, which featured a .247/.313/.508 line and 26 dingers in just 107 games, made him look like a star in the making.

2024 wasn't so kind, with Morel hitting just .196 despite his prodigious power. Still, his potential was enough for him to be the centerpiece of the trade that sent Isaac Paredes to the Chicago Cubs following Paredes' first All-Star selection.

Morel has his faults. His strikeout rate hit 35.7% in 2025, and his porous glove has struggled to find a home, bouncing around the infield and the outfield corners in his young career. However, he's still only 26 years old and could be a cheap power source for Pittsburgh's anemic lineup, as well as a potential piece that can grow alongside the young core.

Infielder Ramon Urías

The Houston Astros cut Ramon Urías loose not because he's an ineffective player, but because they're tight up against the luxury tax line and have bigger priorities than a utility infielder. However, the 31-year-old could be a stabilizing presence for the Pirates.

Coming off a down year with an 87 wRC+, Urias posted a 114 wRC+ in 2024 and has a career mark of 104. He can handle either second or third, giving Pittsburgh a potential upgrade over either Nick Yorke or Jared Triolo. The veteran wouldn't be a long-term piece, but he'd add another competent hitter to the lineup, and, with a bounce-back season, could be flipped for something useful at the trade deadline.

Reliever Sam Hentges

Sam Hentges comes with some serious medical red flags after missing all of 2025 and recovering from shoulder and knee surgeries, but the 29-year-old southpaw is expected to be ready to go to start 2026.

FanGraphs' depth chart currently has only one lefty, Evan Sisk, in Pittsburgh's bullpen, and Hentges could be another potential high-end option. With a mid-90s fastball, a 53.4% ground ball rate, and ERAs that ranged from 2.32 to 3.61 over his last three healthy seasons, Hentges could be a nice cog as a high-leverage lefty. He's got some strikeout stuff, with a career 9.71 K/9, giving him added value aside from simply the arm he throws with. This one would depend on the medicals, but if they check out, the Pirates should be all over him.

Reliever Jason Foley

Steady arms in the bullpen are a must for the Pirates, and of the non-tender casualties, none has been steadier than Jason Foley (prior to his shoulder injury). The 30-year-old right-hander has a career 3.16 ERA and has never posted a mark higher than 3.88 in a single season. His bread-and-butter is a heavy, high-90s sinker that yields a ton of ground balls, though not a lot of strikeouts.

Like Hentges, he's expected to be ready by spring training, meaning he should have the entire first half to build up trade value ... or Pittsburgh could leverage his experience closing out games (28 saves in 2024) and deal Dennis Santana if they believe he'd generate a bigger return. Of course, hanging on to both and building a competent bullpen is an appealing third option.

Outfielder Mike Tauchman

Chalk Mike Tauchman up in the useful veteran category. Entering his age-35 season, this wouldn't be an upside play, but rather a floor raiser and a potential trade chip. Over the last three seasons, Tauchman has put up wRC+s of 108, 110, and 115, and could give Pittsburgh a competent left-handed bat to bolster the lineup.

He'd be a massive upgrade over Jack Suwinski in left field at minimum, and would be a veteran leader a la Tommy Pham to mentor the younger players on the roster.

Reliever Gregory Santos

Righty Gregory Santos has done a lot of bouncing around in his young career. Originally coming up with the San Francisco Giants, he quickly moved on to the Chicago White Sox, then was on to the Seattle Mariners. It was with the White Sox in 2023 when he got his most significant opportunity, and there was a lot to like.

Santos relies on a sinker that sits at 98 miles per hour and a wipeout slider. In 2023, he logged 66.1 innings with a 3.39 ERA. His peripherals were even more impressive, with a 5.9% walk rate, a 1.5% barrel rate, and a 33.5% chase rate that was in the 91st percentile. His slider was the real star of the show, generating whiffs at a 37.5% clip and yielding just a .196 batting average.

At 26 years old, he could be a dice roll that becomes a key cog in the bullpen for 2026 and many years after.

Reliever Michael Arias

The youngest player on this list, and the only one without big league experience, Michael Arias could be a shot in the dark that becomes a whole lot of nothing or a true weapon out of the bullpen.

His pro journey has been a strange one so far. Signing with the Toronto Blue Jays as a shortstop for just $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic, he never played a game in Toronto's farm system. He was picked up by the Cubs in 2020 and converted to a pitcher, where he became an electric arm and rose through the ranks to become Chicago's No. 14 prospect in 2024.

Arias has a big fastball that he can run up to 99 and a changeup and sweeper that each have tremendous movement. While that's made him hard to hit, it's also led to him having some serious control issues. The Cubs gave up on him and dealt him to the New York Yankees last winter.

There, Arias posted a 2.57 ERA with New York's Double-A affiliate, recording 12.43 K/9, but also surrendering 6.43 BB/9. He is still so young, turning 24 on November 15, and while he'd need some minor league seasoning, if the Pirates can figure out his control issues, they could have an impact reliever on their hands.