Breaking MLB News: Pirates Land A Notable Bat in Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Pirates have continued their active offseason. They have broken the piggy bank, as insider Bob Nightengale puts it, to land a notable free agent in Ryan O'Hearn.

The Pittsburgh Pirates dip into their piggy bank and sign free agent first baseman Ryan O’Hearn to a 2-year, $29 million contract for much needed offense. @ByRobertMurray on it.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 23, 2025

It's a two-year, $29 million deal for O'Hearn, a huge free agent contract for the small-market Pirates.

It was only yesterday that insider Robert Murray predicted that O'Hearn would be a "really strong fit" for the Pirates clubhouse, and pegged him as a "very possible" target for the Bucs. Kudos to Murray for that report.

O'Hearn was a highly-sought after bat at the trade deadline back in July after his great first half in Baltimore with the Orioles, before being dealt to the San Diego Padres.

"You talk to people around Baltimore, and you talk to people around the Padres, and they all say the same thing," said Murray. "He's a great clubhouse guy. And he's obviously an emerging player offensively.”

O'Hearn, 32, finished 2025 with a .281 average, a .366 on-base pct. and an .801 OPS. He launched 17 homers, and landed his first All-Star nod.

Earlier this month, Pittsburgh made another big offseason move, adding second baseman Brandon Lowe in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays, a smart transaction that plants a 30-HR hitting second baseman into the middle of their lineup.