Pirates Rumors: Pittsburgh targeting 2024 All-Star as backup utility option

MLB Winter Meetings are in full swing, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have reportedly been very involved in the trade and free agency markets. The latest rumor has the Pirates showing interest in signing utility man Willi Castro.

Jorge Castillo of ESPN broke the news that the Pirates, along with the Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies, are keeping an eye on Castro.

"The Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies are among the teams interested in signing utilityman Willi Castro, sources told ESPN. Castro, 28, was an All-Star in 2024 after a strong first half with the Minnesota Twins, but he regressed through the second half and into the 2025 season.
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Jorge Castillo

Castro last played for the Chicago Cubs after being dealt from Minnesota at 2025's trade deadline. As noted by Castillo, the 28-year-old utilityman did not enjoy much success following the trade. In 34 games with the Cubs, Castro had a lowly .170 batting average. He also had just one homer with the club, as well as only six RBI, 24 total bases and 27 strikeouts. His final slash line for the year was .226/.313/.679, and he did not have an at bat in the postseason.

Despite those shortcomings, the former All-Star finds himself on the radar of at least the three teams mentioned in the ESPN report. All things considered, Castro really isn't that far off from his All-Star numbers that earned him a nod in the 2024 season. There's reason to believe that Chicago just might not have been the right fit.

How does Castro fit in the Pirates' offseason plans?

The Pirates seem to have a two-pronged approach to their offseason plans. On one hand, they want to sign or trade for as many big bats as possible to bolster what was the league's worst offense in 2025. On the other, they're looking to ensure they still have competent and flexible defenders in the field, and Castro certainly fits that mold.

Castro has been the ultimate utility man for the Twins over the past couple of seasons, and he can play a similar role in Pittsburgh. The Puerto Rican native has previously played at every infield spot except first base, and in all three outfield spots. With the Ke'Bryan Hayes trade came a vacancy at third base. After the departure of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, there is also a spot to fill at shortstop, although there's a great chance Konnor Griffin will take that spot in 2026. Tommy Pham's future is in question with the club as well, thus leaving a corner outfield position up for grabs.

Castro likely wouldn't be an everyday starter for Pittsburgh, but he could provide good depth on the bench by being able to play multiple positions. The reality of this situation is that the Pirates already have a great utility player in Jared Triolo, who had better efficiency stats down the stretch and just a slightly lower offensive output than Castro did in 2025. The pair could effectively help bolster the Pirates' offense, especially if some of those roles aren't filled by everyday players after the offseason is through.

Pittsburgh does love to swoop in and sign an All-Star that is past their prime, but Castro doesn't seem to be out of it as much as people think he may be. A change of scenery could be the perfect thing to get him back to that 2024 form, as the Steel City could prove to be a much better fit than the Windy City has been for him.