Ben Cherington confirmed that Pirates missed affordable pitching addition in free agency

The Pittsburgh Pirates have done a nice job of filling their key roster holes this offseason, adding a host of power-hitting threats (Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, Jhostynxon Garcia) and some key bullpen arms (Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery). With a talented rotation that remains deep despite trading away Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows, there's a real path for the Buccos to compete in 2026.

That being said, this isn't an infallible roster by any means. There are still frustrations with how cheap the team continues to be despite possessing the best pitcher in baseball in Paul Skenes on a pre-arbitration contract. Clearly, it'd behoove the front office to keep trying to add talent where possible.

Luckily, the Pirates don't appear to be resting on their laurels. Pirates insider Alex Stumpf confirmed that the team was trying to add high-leverage reliever Seranthony Dominguez in free agency, which follows from Ben Cherington's remarks at Pirates Fest that the team is still looking to add pitching.

Pirates' whiff on Seranthony Dominguez could be a blessing in disguise

Dominguez wound up signing a two-year, $20 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, another team trying to dig itself out of the divisional cellar this winter. Unlike the Pirates, who have Dennis Santana in place as the closer, the Pale Hose were able to offer Dominguez a shot at the ninth-inning job, which surely appealed to the veteran right-hander.

That may actually prove beneficial to the Pirates, depending on how they allocate that money elsewhere. Dominguez may have elite velocity, which he parlays into huge whiff and strikeout totals, but he's got a clear fatal flaw that Pittsburgh will be glad to have steered clear from.

Simply put, Dominguez has had prolonged stretches where he simply can't find the strike zone. He worked a problematic 14.0% walk rate down the stretch of the 2025 regular season, and that problem became exacerbated in October when that rate ballooned to 22%. In fact, Dominguez walked more hitters (11) than he struck out (10) during the Toronto Blue Jays' postseason run.

It's unclear if the Pirates were ready to commit $10 million per season over a multi-year period to the 31-year-old, but if they were in his market, they clearly have some money to spend on another bullpen arm. Relievers like Danny Coulombe, Evan Phillips, and Andrew Chafin can all be effective leverage arms had at a similar or lower annual value. Adding one of them should be a top priority before the offseason is over.

Well, that and making sure Andrew McCutchen's legacy isn't completely ruined before he rides off into the sunset.