Pirates' 2025 payroll fulfills promise after Andrew Heaney addition

The Pirates are always mindful of where their payroll sits as they traverse the offseason. Always amongst the bottom third of the league, Ben Cherington nonetheless insisted entering the 2025 offseason that the Pirates' payroll would increase.

Despite that proclamation, the offseason thus far has been underwhelming, with the biggest move coming last week; the Pirates brought in Andrew Heaney on a one-year deal worth $5.25 million.

After adding the veteran southpaw, the payroll has indeed increased from where it was in 2024 by the slimmest of margins. At the end of last season, it was at $87 million, and now it has reached $88 million, according to FanGraphs.

Although it increased by just a single million, it still has increased, despite the team spending less this offseason than last. Fans can assess the resulting roster however they want, given the offense is still a bit shaky and the bullpen is strung together by guys seeking big bounce-back years. With Heaney in tow, though, the Pirates rotation is looking like one of the league's top groups on paper. Unfortunately, the other aspects of the team have fans a little down.

Nonetheless, the Pirates are in position to enter 2025 with their best roster during the Cherington tenure. Let's take a look at how the roster is constructed through their payroll.

Pirates' payroll has finally increased from 2024 following Andrew Heaney addition, so what does it look like?

The three highest-paid players on the team are Mitch Keller ($15.4 million), Bryan Reynolds ($13.3 million), and Ke'Bryan Hayes ($8.75 million). Those three have each been extended to long deals within the last three seasons. Hopefully, Pittsburgh can make it four years in a row with another extension for their other young stars soon.

Following those three, the Pirates are paying Isiah Kiner-Falefa $7.5 million, Heaney $5.25, Andrew McCutchen $5 million, Tommy Pham $4 million, Caleb Ferguson $3 million, Adam Frazier $1.52 million, and Tim Mayza $1.15 million. This entire bunch will be free agents after the 2025 season.

All the guys on arbitration are likely to get raises in 2026, but for now, David Bednar is making $5.9 million, Bailey Falter $2.2 million, Joey Bart $1.75 million, Colin Holderman $1.5 million, and Dennis Santana earning his share of $1.4 million.

Everyone else on the roster is making less than a million bucks this season, which rounds off the payroll. We'd all like to see it get over the $100 million milestone, but that is unlikely to happen under Bob Nutting's ownership.