Pirates' overstuffed 40-man roster will fuel major non-tender decisions at deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates enter the offseason not only with nine arbitration-eligible players, but also with a looming Rule 5 protection crunch – and both realities will collide in November

For years, Ben Cherington’s approach has been to protect anyone with a hint of upside, which has led to a clogged developmental pipeline. The 2025-26 offseason will expose the limits of that method, as players once viewed as “organizational depth” now stand in the way of higher-ceiling prospects who actually shape the club’s future.

Non-tendering (and DFA'ing) some of those players will serve as a painful but necessary course correction – an acknowledgment that the Pirates can’t hoard mediocrity forever.

Pirates' non-tender decisions will reveal how serious they are about winning

The Pirates have filled their 40-man with a patchwork mix of fringe bullpen arms, out-of-options players, and developing young talent. Between injury returnees, depth placeholders and upcoming Rule 5 adds, Pittsburgh simply doesn’t have the luxury of carrying everyone.

To protect key prospects from the Rule 5 Draft, the Pirates will need multiple open spots – and that means cutting loose arbitration players who don’t project as clear upgrades or long-term pieces. Several of their arbitration-eligible players fall into the crowded gray area between “useful” and “replaceable,” and with even modest salary bumps, they become expendable.

Joey Bart is projected to earn approximately $2.7 million in arbitration, which is hard to justify when the Pirates have three other younger, cost-controlled catchers on their 40-man roster. Yohan Ramirez ($1.2 million) is out of minor league options, and inconsistent command makes him an easy cut. Jack Suwinski ($1.7 million) is a career sub-.200 hitter who has repeatedly failed to replicate his breakout rookie season. Colin Holderman ($1.7 million) is a fringe leverage guy who regressed late in 2025; a trade or non-tender wouldn’t surprise anyone.

Essentially, the Pirates could save $8-10 million and free three to five roster spots by trimming these arbitration cases – a necessary purge for a team that badly needs roster flexibility.

From a Rule 5 protection angle, Pittsburgh’s farm system success in 2025 – with standout performances from prospects like outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez and reliever Brandan Bidois – created a logjam of prospects who must be protected this winter. Not protecting them risks losing talent the organization spent years developing, something the front office can’t afford.

To add these names to the 40-man roster, the Pirates will have to designate or non-tender veterans. Expect the likes of Ramirez, Bart, Holderman and Suwinski to be among the casualties – not because of performance alone, but because the 40-man math demands it.

The Pirates’ 40-man crunch will force hard choices, not necessarily because of who deserves to stay, but because of how limited the roster space is. Expect a few recognizable names to be cut loose because Pittsburgh can’t afford to carry middle-tier arbitration salaries on a roster already clogged with redundancy.

This non-tender deadline won’t just trim fat; it will define how serious the Pirates are about prioritizing youth, flexibility and future upside over stale depth on their roster.