With Major League Baseball’s free agency beginning, the Pirates need to make major changes. The team ended with a 71-91 record and came in last place in the NL Central, so they have many holes to fill.

The Pirates have the best pitcher in the MLB, Paul Skenes, and one of the best young rotations in all of baseball, but they are still losing. The team needs hitting, and to get good bats, they need to spend money. 

Pirates fans are over the losing and Bob Nutting’s cheap ways. On Saturday, ESPN’s College Gameday was in Pittsburgh, which is a football show. When Pat McAfee brought up how the Pirates have the best pitcher in the MLB but are not winning, a “sell the team” chant immediately roared from the crowd.

MLB insiders are reporting that the Pirates are expected to spend at least $30 million this offseason, which would be very good, if it actually happens. 

Last season, General Manager Ben Cherington traded away infielders Ke’Bryan Hayes and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but he never replaced them. Outfielders Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen, meanwhile, are free agents now and should not be re-signed, leaving four holes in the starting lineup.

If the Pirates spend roughly $30 million this offseason, that is around $7.5 million each for those four key acquisitions, which is not good. There are not many good free agents in that budget. But they could get some cheaper free agents, like Ha-Seong Kim or a third trip to Pittsburgh for Adam Frazier, and spend big on a player like Eugenio Suarez, but that will not make the team better. 

The best move the Pirates could make this offseason is trading veteran pitcher Mitch Keller. Keller is one of the most consistent pitchers in the MLB and a great rotation guy for any MLB team. If the Pirates could get an MLB caliber outfielder for Keller, like Wilyer Abreu from Boston, that would be a step in the right direction.

If they get a guy like Abreu, that fills one of their four holes, which would leave them with around $10 million to spend on each remaining player. That would make a big difference: That extra $2.5 million to spend per player can get someone like Jorge Polanco or Harrison Bader, who would help the team indefinitely. 

If they spend money, they will have a better team. It is that simple. If they play their cards right, and people sign with the team, the Pirates could be contenders in the 2026 season.