This is who the Pirates should pivot to after losing Mike Yastrzemski to the Braves

Aside from acquiring Jhostynxon Garcia from the Red Sox, the Pirates have yet to make a big time offensive addition. They missed out on Kyle Schwarber, and appeared to be pivoting to Jorge Polanco before the Mets stepped in. While they need a big splash to save the lineup, there are certainly other areas they need to address with players that won't break the bank.

Signing Mike Yastrzemski to platoon with Garcia would've been a logical addition. The veteran outfielder has been an above -verage hitter for his entire career and has the left-handed power this team needs. At 35 years old, he's coming off a 17 home run and 106 wRC+ season, generating 2.4 fWAR.

It didn't take long after the Winter Meetings for him to sign a deal, as the Atlanta Braves picked him up for two years for $23M. There were no reports that the Pirates showed interest in him, but he was definitely a strong fit for this team.

Now that Yastrzemski is off the market, the Pirates have to look elsewhere. The market for outfielders this offseason isn't very strong, aside from guys like Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger. Both are unrealistic for Pittsburgh, so they are going to have to get more creative and should examine the trade market to solve a hole in their outfield.

The Pirates should pivot to Lars Nootbaar after missing out on Mike Yastrzemski to the Braves.

The Cardinals appear to be tearing down their roster this offseason and doing a full rebuild, and Lars Nootbaar is one of their outfielders that could be dealt. Pittsburgh was recently connected with Nootbaar, along with a handful of other players from St. Louis.

Nootbaar is coming off a bit of a down year, posting a 96 wRC+ with 13 home runs and a .686 OPS. From 2022-2024, he was one of their best bats, posting an OPS above .780 in two of those seasons. Despite the slump, his advanced metrics were still solid, generating a hard-hit rate of 50%, barrel rate of 10.2%, and a chase rate of just 22%.

One likely cause of his slump was an injury in his heel that required surgery this offseason. He may even miss Opening Day in 2026 because of it. He is still expected to be back before the summer. That may stunt some of his trade value.

The Pirates might be able to acquire two years of Nootbaar with a package of Wyatt Sanford and Mitch Jebb, two middle infield prospects. Sanford is still in Low-A after being selected in the second round of the 2024 draft, and Jebb is expected to start the year in Triple-A. Both have great speed and defensive value, and are solid contact hitters.

It shouldn't cost too much, so the Pirates should absolutely take the gamble on Nootbaar to rebound in 2026. Even if he misses spring training, once he is in the lineup everyday, he can bring the Pirates a solid bat and glove. He is much better than most of the other outfielders on the free agent market. Ben Cherington, call up your rival and make something happen.