Pirates Q&A: Could Keller Still Be Traded? What to Do at Third Base?
Welcome back to another edition of our Pittsburgh Pirates Q&A. Let’s get to your questions.
Why did they give Suwinski another chance ? – Tim Snyder
Just because they avoided arbitration with Jack Suwinski doesn’t mean he’s a lock to crack the Pirates’ Opening Day roster. A $1.25 million guarantee essentially gives the Pirates a low-cost chance to get one more look at him.
If Suwinski performs well this spring, he will get a chance on the big-league roster as a platoon corner outfielder. If he performs poorly this spring as he has during the regular season the past two years, the Pirates will subject him to waivers.
It’s essentially a no-risk route the Pirates are taking to see if there’s any hope he can be more like the player he was in 2023. If not, he won’t suit up for Pittsburgh this season.
Is there talk of Keller being traded? – Dean Lipperman
Mitch Keller has been the subject of trade speculation all the way back to the 2025 trade deadline and that buzz continued through the early part of this offseason.
The chances of the Pirates trading the veteran right-hander plummeted once they traded Mike Burrows to the Houston Astros after already trading Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox. It’s true the Pirates have strong rotation depth, but they have to be careful about trading away too much and becoming vulnerable. Not to mention most of the current options don’t have more than two full years of big-league experience.
While Ben Cherington essentially said nothing can be ruled out, it would come as a major surprise at this point to see Keller on a new team to start 2026. Never say never, but I’m expecting him to stay.
Now that the Japanese star is gone, who is YINZ favorite to fill the 3b void? – Tom Seidler
Kazuma Okamoto had been heavily linked to the Pirates before signing a four-year, $60 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s true the Pirates could have matched that offer, but why would Okamoto choose the Pirates over a team that was literal inches away from winning the World Series?
While the options aren’t as plentiful as they were at the beginning of the offseason, there still are player available in free agency and trade who could make sense. I named four options who could fit, which you could read here.
Since we lost out on Okamoto will we go after Suárez now? I mean 49 HR’s ain’t bad at all. – John Caldwell
Even before Okamoto signed with Toronto, Eugenio Suárez was the player I felt would be the best fit for the Pirates at the hot corner. You said it, 49 home runs ain’t bad at all.
Now, there are some drawbacks with Suárez. He’s 34, faded down the stretch last season and doesn’t provide quality defense. But the power is real, and while the spacious left field at PNC Park could result in a did in home runs, he has enough power to still be an impact middle of the order threat.
Some have said Suárez might get four years in free agency, which I think is crazy. I’m not even sure he gets three. Pittsburgh should absolutely say no to giving him a four-year deal. I’d be hesitant of giving him three years unless it made sense financially. But if he’s willing to accept a two-year deal, even if it takes a higher AAV than anticipated, the Pirates should be serious in their pursuit.
A right-handed bat makes the most sense looking at the lineup construction. Ans Suárez is as good as it gets in terms of players that are at least somewhat realistic targets.
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