MLB insiders add helpful estimate to Pirates’ rumored spending increase

Now that the GM Meetings are officially over, it's time for the offseason to really start moving. After the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline and the non-tender deadline, teams will have full focus on who to add to their teams. The Pirates, in particular, have the extremely difficult task of rebuilding their offense. Fortunately, things may look a little brighter in Pittsburgh than they have the last few offseasons, according to two MLB insiders.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com and Bob Nightengale of USA Today both reported that the Pirates are expected to add about $30 million in payroll, with Feinsand going further,saying Ben Cherington will have around $30-$40 million additional cash to work with.

MLB insiders are reporting that the Pirates are expected to spend at least $30 million this offseason.

The Pirates didn't even spend close to $30 million in last offseason, and they still somehow had an increased payroll from 2024. It wasn't much, sitting just below $90 million, and the team's estimated payroll now is around $64 million, with estimations with arbitration settlements.

So how could the Pirates really add $30 million AAV? Well, if their decisions are anything like the 2024 offseason, Pittsburgh would be in trouble. They simply cannot have an offseason like that again, adding Aroldis Chapman ($10.5M), Martin Perez ($8M), Andrew McCutchen ($5M), Michael A. Taylor ($4.5M), Rowdy Tellez ($3.2M), and Yasmani Grandal ($2.5M). That right there represented $33.6 million spread out on one-year deals,. They also extended Mitch Keller that spring, so there was a lot of spending that offseason, which had them in the hunt until after that trade deadline.

Now, they must do things differently. They cannot hand out their two biggest contracts to pitchers. The only pitching they should add is left-handed relievers, and getting cheap veterans like Justin Wilson will do the job. A Chapman-style contract for a high-leverage reliever would be a waste of the funds.

Instead, they should go all in on Jorge Polanco. MLB Trade Rumors expects him to land a three-year, $42 million contract. $14 million a year is reasonable for Pittsburgh, and adding his bat to the mix would be game-changing with his 26 home runs and 132 wRC+. Then adding another outfielder would fill in another hole. Snagging Mike Yastrzemski and/or Austin Hays is a reasonable ask. Both finished 2025 with a wRC+ over the league average of 100. They could both cost around $8-$11 million per season. If both got $8 million, along with Polanco's predicted contract, that would put the Pirates at $30 million spent with a brand new offense.

The Pirates need to do something like this to complement the pitching staff. Adding these veterans could really help this team. A contract like Polanco's would be uncharacteristic for this organization, yet such a risk is definitely worth it. Reporters are saying that the Pirates are showing some willingness to spend, and the city needs that money to be spent on offensive game-changers.