Pirates pivot to familiar power bat after missing on Kazuma Okamoto

Well… so much for the dream of Kazuma Okamoto in black and gold. The Pittsburgh Pirates shot their shot — real money, real intent, real meetings — and actually swung at a top-of-the-market bat.

But Okamoto chose the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, and the Pirates are left standing at third base with an empty glove and one big question: Now what?

According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Bucs may have their answer in free-agent third baseman Eugenio Suárez. And honestly? This pivot makes a lot of sense… with the usual Pirates-sized caveats.

Let’s not overthink this. The Pirates ranked dead last in MLB last year in home runs, slugging and ISO power. They desperately need someone who can actually drive a baseball.

Enter Suárez, who clubbed 49 homers last season with a .526 slugging percentage and happens to be one of the best power bats alive. We're talking launch angles, fireworks and baseballs landing on the Clemente Bridge.

And let’s be real — the vibes matter, too. Suárez is beloved in every clubhouse he touches. Young teams gravitate to him. He smiles through the slump storms. He celebrates the wins like they matter. That kind of energy has been missing in Pittsburgh.

Signing Eugenio Suárez would be worth the risk for the power-starved Pirates

Now, let's talk about the warts (because yes, there are warts). If Suárez were perfect, he wouldn’t be available — and the Pirates wouldn’t be in the conversation.

Suárez strikes out. A lot. His batting average also lives in the .220s, and his OBP sometimes forgets to set the alarm clock. He's also 34 years old, and his defense at third base is –– to put it politely –– declining.

Suárez also just went through a post-deadline slump at a pitcher-friendly ballpark in Seattle. That doesn't bode well for his offense at PNC Park. And the projected price tag (three years, $60 million) would be historic for a Pirates free agent. Historic as in... this has literally never happened before.

Francisco Liriano still holds the record for the largest free-agent contract in Pirates history at three years, $39 million. That’s embarrassing. But that brings us to the part that should turn your head.

Ryan O’Hearn just got two years, $29 million and nearly tied Liriano's record. The Pirates reportedly made a nine-figure offer to Kyle Schwarber. They were deep in on Okamoto. The money is not theoretical anymore, and the front office knows exactly what they need to do: protect Paul Skenes with an offense that actually scores runs.

And after adding O'Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and Jhostynxon García, they still aren't done. Good.

For years the Pirates have been a team built around pitching, patience, prospects and hope. Adding Suárez flips this team's identity on its head by adding fear. Slot him in behind Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, and this suddenly passes for a real major-league lineup.

Suárez isn't perfect, and he's not a cure-all. But he is a legitimate power bat who makes pitchers uncomfortable. He is a veteran presence this clubhouse needs, and he is available right now in a market where the Pirates just watched their preferred option vanish to Toronto.

And –– perhaps most importantly –– for once, the Pirates aren’t retreating from the table. They’re staying in the fight.

If Suárez ends up at third base at PNC Park this spring, it won’t be a consolation prize. It will be another signal — loud and clear — that this team finally understands where it is in its competitive cycle.

Finally, the Pirates are trying to build a lineup worthy of the arms they’ve been gifted. Now, they need to go finish the job.