Pirates earn rare praise as insider crowns trade top offseason move

Beyond stars like Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz, the Pirates tend not to get much love from the national sports media. In fact, the club is often the butt of jokes or sad reflections on the seemingly interminable lean years. It’s worth celebrating, then, that MLB insider Ken Rosenthal shouted out the Pirates during a recent episode of the Foul Territory podcast.

Rosenthal sang the praises of the Pirates’ three-team deal with the Astros and Rays:

“[It] showed to me what the Pirates are going to need to do, need to make trades because of the free agents, only Ryan O'Hearn has agreed to go there, so I like that move."

The trade in question, which brought Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Mason Montgomery to Pittsburgh, significantly upgraded the Pirates’ roster and possibly changed the way that many people—including the press and players—view the franchise. As Rosenthal pointed out, the Pirates may have found a way to upgrade the team without breaking the bank on big free agents.

MLB insider Ken Rosenthal hailed the Pirates’ Brandon Lowe trade as one of the best moves of the offseason.

That’s what makes the move so significant. It’s not necessarily about the players involved, although the three new Bucs are sure to improve the product on the field. It’s about the franchise finally being aggressive and cunning when it comes to roster construction. The front office made peace with dealing from their pitching depth, parting ways with Mike Burrows in order to prop up the offensive side of the depth chart.

Rosenthal hasn’t been the only pundit to draw attention to the Pirates’ offseason successes. CBS Sports gave the trade a B grade, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand gave Pittsburgh a nod as one of the teams with the best offseason despite a lack of big-name signings.

It’s possible, of course, that we see Lowe, Mangum, and Montgomery on the field and come to regret the move, but for now, it’s worth celebrating some positive press directed at Pittsburgh. Here’s hoping the buzz buoys the players as they embark on the 2026 season in a few weeks.