Complete list of Pirates 2026-27 free agents and their outlook

The Pittsburgh Pirates don't have a particularly long list of major league free agents this offseason. They do, however, have one decision that could tell us a lot about how serious they actually are about winning in 2027.

Brandon Lowe is headed for free agency after a 35-homer season, Gregory Soto is set to hit the market after solidifying the back end of the bullpen and Kirby Yates has already announced his retirement.

That’s it.

Ryan O’Hearn and Luke Weaver are both under contract for next season. Lake Bachar remains under team control. Most of the Pirates’ core will return. Which means there really shouldn't be much mystery about where Pittsburgh’s attention needs to go.

Pirates’ 2026-27 free agent class is small, but one decision could define the offseason

Brandon Lowe

This is the one that matters.

Lowe finished 2026 hitting .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs, 96 RBI and 4.9 fWAR. He gave the Pirates the exact kind of legitimate, middle-of-the-order bat they had spent years failing to find. Now comes the part the Pirates historically struggle with: paying to keep him.

Pittsburgh can extend Lowe a qualifying offer, and almost certainly should. But slapping a qualifying offer on him and then shrugging when another team gives him a multiyear contract wouldn't constitute a serious attempt to retain him.

More importantly, the Pirates already know how difficult it is to find the type of production Lowe just gave them. They spent years searching for power. They finally acquired some, watched Lowe hit 35 home runs and help drag the offense toward respectability, and now have to decide whether they are willing to pay market price to keep it.

That shouldn't be complicated. It might be expensive, but those aren't the same thing.

If the Pirates lose Lowe and replace him with a cheaper collection of platoon bats while talking about “flexibility” and “optionality,” nobody should be surprised if the offense takes a step backward.

Outlook: Lowe should be Pittsburgh’s top internal priority. Anything short of a legitimate multiyear effort to retain him would raise serious questions about how committed the organization is to improving on 82 wins.

Gregory Soto

Soto is a much more conventional free-agent decision. The left-hander finished the season with a 3.63 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 79 strikeouts in 67 innings while recording 16 saves.

He was useful. At times, he was very good. And there is certainly value in bringing back a proven left-handed reliever who has already shown he can handle late-inning situations. But the Pirates don't need to make re-signing Soto a priority.

Mason Montgomery emerged as a legitimate late-inning weapon during the second half. Luke Weaver is signed through 2027. Lake Bachar remains under club control. That gives Pittsburgh options.

If Soto’s market lands in a reasonable range, bringing him back would strengthen the bullpen and preserve some stability. If another team wants to hand him a significant multiyear deal based on his save total and experience, the Pirates can probably afford to let him walk and redistribute that money elsewhere.

Outlook: A sensible reunion candidate, but only at the right price. Pittsburgh shouldn't let Soto’s free agency distract from much bigger offensive priorities.

Kirby Yates

Yates’ situation is already settled. The veteran right-hander announced that 2026 would be the final season of his career, ending a major-league run that lasted more than a decade and included stretches as one of baseball’s most dominant relievers.

The Pirates acquired Yates at the trade deadline and wound up giving him a memorable sendoff in Detroit, where he made the first start of his career as an opener in his final appearance. There's no contract decision to make here.

Outlook: Retired.

Minor-league free agents

The Pirates also have several organizational free agents, including Jarod Bayless, Beau Burrows, Jesus Castillo, Noah Davis, Ryan Harbin, Dominic Pipkin, Javier Rivas and Isaias Uribe.

Some could return on minor-league deals, but none figures to materially shape the Pirates’ major-league plans for 2027.

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