Where does the Pirates' 2026 payroll stand after offseason moves so far?

Earlier this offseason, it seemed like the Pirates were about to take a massive step forward in terms of payroll. The club reportedly offered Kyle Schwarber the largest free-agent contract in franchise history, but once the slugger was off the market, Pittsburgh turned its attention to more affordable options. Here’s where the payroll stands heading into 2026.

While arbitration settlements have yet to occur, a handful of guaranteed contracts make up the bulk of the Pirates’ payroll. Mitch Keller stands as the highest-paid player on the squad. His $16.5 million salary in 2026 made him one of the likeliest trade candidates this winter, but that was before the Pirates dealt starter Mike Burrows to the Astros as part of the Brandon Lowe deal. Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn will make $11.5 million and $14.5 million, respectively, and Bryan Reynolds is set to take home $14 million next season. Gregory Soto is marked down for $7.75 million.

The Pirates have made big moves while keeping payroll costs down in 2026.

The Pirates have relatively few players eligible for arbitration. Just four of the six players – Dennis Santana, Oneil Cruz, Joey Bart, and Justin Lawrence – will go through the process or settle with the team by January 8. Jack Suwinski and Yohan Ramirez avoided arbitration. Because of the nature of these negotiations, the contracts of the four aren’t set in stone and projections differ. Spotrac places the total payroll hit at $11.6 million, while MLB Trade Rumors sets the mark at $10.9 million.

The rest of the roster will be on the standard pre-arbitration salary, which Spotrac puts at $820,000. Yes, Paul Skenes is making less than $1 million as the best pitcher in the NL. (Of course, his accolades will add to his salary, but those dollars don’t come out of the Pirates’ pockets.)

All told, the Pirates are looking at a cash payroll somewhere between $96-102 million. (Their tax payroll is slightly higher due to averaging long-term contracts, such as Keller’s.) That payroll is pretty much in line with Pittsburgh’s bill in 2025, which totaled just under $105 million. It stands to reason, though, that the Pirates have a few more signings up their sleeves. When all is said and done, expect Pittsburgh to climb out of the bottom five in terms of payroll.