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3 things the Pittsburgh Pirates do before Opening Day

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Spring Training is in full swing. The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a hot start in the pre-season, and their first regular season game is just around the corner. They’re coming off a very active offseason, and not just for their usual standards. They signed four players to Major League deals, and acquired four more via trade that are part of the 40-man roster. To say they’ve done a lot would be an understatement. However, there are some moves the Pirates should make before Opening Day 2026.

Trade Joey Bart

The Pirates acquired Joey Bart from the San Francisco Giants at the start of the 2024 season. Since then, the former second overall pick has hit .257/.347/.398 with a .331 wOBA and 110 wRC+. He’s hit 17 home runs with a .141 isolated slugging percentage over 614 plate appearances. Bart’s 27% strikeout rate is lackluster, but he has drawn walks at a healthy 10.1% rate.

Bart’s defense, on the other hand, hasn’t fared as well. He has -10 defensive runs saved with -4.3 framing runs in 1203 innings caught. While he has displayed a strong arm behind the plate, he has been below the 30th percentile of poptime the last two years. Bart has also struggled with blocking. He comes in with -9 blocking runs and nine passed balls.

 

Henry Davis will likely get most of the playing time behind the dish. Former consensus top 100 prospect Endy Rodriguez is a superior defender to Bart, despite his injury concerns. The Pirates also acquired top prospect Rafael Flores Jr. from the New York Yankees during last year’s trade deadline for David Bednar. He has a similar bat-first catcher profile as Bart. Plus, he has experience at first base, giving them a right-handed hitting 1B option to supplement Spencer Horwitz.

As of right now, the Pirates have four catchers on their 40-man roster. Joey Bart is the odd man out. Davis is the Pirates’ go-to answer, Rodriguez is a better defender than Bart, and Flores Jr. provides more versatility. There has been some trade interest in Bart over the last month (specifically from the Houston Astros). However, the Pirates need to clear up some space behind the plate. Plus, a Bart trade can help with two of the other things the Pirates need to check off their to-do list before Opening Day.

Sign another starter

The Pirates did sign one starting pitcher this offseason. They inked right-hander Jose Urquidy to a one-year contract on February 5. Their starting rotation is their biggest strength; however, they could use some more depth and stability. The fifth spot of the rotation is currently a toss-up between Urquidy, Carmen Mlodzinski (who the Pirates are going to give another chance to start games), and top prospects Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington.

Both Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell are still free agents. Giolito had a promising rebound season with the Boston Red Sox last year. He put up a 3.41 ERA with a 19.7% K% and 9.1% BB% over 145 innings pitched. Meanwhile, Littell owned a 3.81 ERA with a 17.1% K%, and a league-best 4.1% BB%. They are the two best starting pitching options left and would provide the most stability at the fifth spot of the rotation.

Even if the Pirates are okay with what they have, they should consider adding some depth. There are plenty of options still available. Veterans like Anthony DeSclafani and Wade Miley are still on the market. The Bucs could sign a pitcher to a minor league deal, knowing they won’t be back until mid-season at the earliest, like Nestor Cortes, Tony Gonsolin, or Jon Gray. Bart could also bring back a pitcher with potential that the Pirates can stash at Triple-A to start the year.

However, the Pirates should stay away from starters that are still available, like Marcus Stroman, Tyler Anderson, and Patrick Corbin. Their current internal options are just as good, if not better than Stroman, Anderson, or Corbin. The Pirates’ rotation is strong, but having extra depth could never hurt. Having a veteran hurler like DeSclafani at Triple-A, or adding Cortes as a mid-season reinforcement, could never hurt, especially if the Pirates do not sign Littell or Giolito.

Extend Konnor Griffin

This one is obvious, is it not? If the Pirates make any sizable move before the first game of the 2026 MLB season, it should be to extend Konnor Griffin to a long-term contract. The shortstop prospect isn’t just the Pirates’ number one prospect. He is the number one prospect in all of baseball. He is also the best prospect the Pirates have ever had. Griffin earned that pedigree after his phenomenal 2025 season.

Griffin batted .333/.415/527 with a .437 wOBA, and 165 wRC+ over 563 plate appearances. He showed both his power and speed. Griffin went yard 21 times with a .194 isolated slugging percentage. Meanwhile, he also swiped 65 bags. Griffin only struck out 21.7% of the time while having a solid 8.9% walk rate. According to Baseball America, all five of Griffin’s tools project as plus or better. His best tool is his ability to run, which BA gave a top-of-the-line 80-grade on the 20-80 scale. Meanwhile, his ‘worst’ tools are his hit and field, both still receiving a 60-grade.

 

The question is what does a Griffin extension look like? The current record extension for a player who hasn’t played in MLB yet is held by Jackson Chourio of the Milwaukee Brewers. He inked an eight-year contract that was worth a guaranteed $82 million. Griffin not only will likely exceed that amount, but could earn upwards of $100 million. However, it may be on a similar average annual value basis as Chourio. Ten years at $100-110 million may be enough to get the job done.

The best part is, there is some legitimate mutual interest for an extension. The Pirates want to ink Griffin to a long-term deal, and Griffin is open to the idea. This is something the Pirates need to get done. Sure, Griffin ‘only’ played 21 games at Double-A last year, but that’s after starting the year at Bradenton. That’s all the more reason to extend him now. The sort of hype Griffin is getting is similar to what Paul Skenes had in 2024. Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot, and sign the best prospect the Pirates have ever had to a long-term contract.

(Top Image Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images)