Pirates can finish an A-plus offseason grade with one more move after Ryan O'Hearn

At some point this winter, it became OK — even fun — to say this out loud: the Pittsburgh Pirates are having a really good offseason.

Gregory Soto? Power lefty with swing-and-miss stuff.
Jhostynxon García? A legit upside play with tools.
Brandon Lowe? The middle-of-the-order bat this lineup has been begging for.
Jake Mangum? Floor, defense, energy.
Mason Montgomery? Another live arm for a pitching factory.
Ryan O’Hearn? A professional hitter who lengthens the lineup immediately.

And yet, as good as this has been, there’s still one move sitting there — obvious, necessary, and capable of pushing this winter from “finally competent” to “wow, they’re really serious.”

The Pirates need one more veteran starting pitcher.

Pirates can complete A-plus offseason by signing a veteran starting pitcher

Pittsburgh's rotation is unquestionably talented. Let’s start with the obvious strength: Paul Skenes is the best pitcher in the National League, and possibly the best in baseball. He’s not theoretical anymore. He’s the anchor. Behind him, there’s real talent, young arms, upside and internal belief.

But the Pirates also traded Johan Oviedo and Mike Burrows, thinning the margin for error. And anyone who’s watched a full MLB season knows exactly how thin that margin gets by June. Innings matter. Stability matters. A bad April can snowball fast when you’re asking young pitchers to carry adult workloads.

That’s why keeping Mitch Keller — which feels increasingly likely — matters so much. Keller gives this rotation credibility. But even with him, this staff still needs another grown-up in the room.

Under Ben Cherington, the Pirates have quietly followed the same rule almost every offseason. They've added at least one veteran starter, preferably left-handed, preferably durable and preferably someone who knows how to survive the league. And wouldn’t you know it — two of those former stabilizers are sitting right there on the free-agent market.

Former Pirates Tyler Anderson and José Quintana just make sense for Pittsburgh. They aren’t flashy names, but that’s the point. They eat innings, they don’t scare you every fifth day, and they keep young rotations from collapsing under pressure.

This team doesn’t need another ace. It needs predictability. It needs someone who can hand the ball to the bullpen in the sixth or seventh and let the rest of the roster breathe. And the market's moving slowly, which means the Pirates don’t have to overextend — just act.

The Pirates' offense is undeniably better. The bullpen has real depth. The farm is still intact. The rotation has a superstar and a spine. Adding a veteran starter doesn’t block anyone, but it protects everyone.

It protects Skenes from overuse. It protects young arms from being rushed. It protects the front office from pretending depth will magically appear. Most importantly? It sends the final message fans have been waiting to hear: This team isn’t just building — it’s actually trying to win.