Mets add to Pirates' Opening Day hype by signing Pittsburgh's clear backup option

Heading into 2026, the vibes around the Pittsburgh Pirates are distinctly different. There is actual and justified optimism about the Pirates' chances this year instead of a handful of delusional fans trying to explain why two straight seasons in last place in the NL Central and a streak of ineptitude longer than that should still attract fans' hard-earned money. The Pirates, behind a very strong rotation and improved lineup, look legit, and now it is actually impossible for them to revert to just running things back in at least one specific way with a controversial player.

The Pirates have been in search of offense all offseason long, and it does look like they actually found some for a change. In addition to signing Ryan O'Hearn and Marcell Ozuna, they went out and traded for Brandon Lowe as well instead of relying on a rotating cast of roster filler and veteran journeymen trying to salvage and prolong their careers.

One such journeyman is Tommy Pham, who had his moments but who was also extremely underwhelming for Pittsburgh in 2025 and who comes with some real risk of being a PR nightmare. Many Pirates fans probably thought that it was inevitable that the Pirates would bring Pham back because it just felt like a move Ben Cherington would make. Instead, Pham just landed with the Mets, and now we can say with some real confidence that these Pirates are different.

With Tommy Pham finally headed elsewhere, the Pirates show that they have no interest in being stagnant

We have heard the story plenty of times before. The Pirates continually turning to the same underwhelming players over and over again was just the norm due to payroll constraints and an inability to attract better talent. Coming off a second-straight subpar season, bringing back Pham to play a meaningful role would have felt like a step backward from all the good work the Pirates have done.

Instead, the Pirates opted to pass on Pham, and he had to accept a minor league deal, which is probably a correct valuation of him at this point. Yes, Pham can occasionally do damage, but he has consistently been a .700 OPS or lower hitter the last two seasons, and that is not a guy Pittsburgh needs right now.

It will be a while before we find out if the Pirates were correct in the bets they made. If Ozuna and/or O'Hearn fall flat, there are going to be some hindsight warriors who will wonder why the Pirates didn't roll the dice on Pham or another hitter that may or may not have even been available. However, it is a breath of fresh air that the Pirates decided to take a different course, and maybe, just maybe, that could lead them back to respectability again.