Pirates Offseason Needs: Corner Outfield Free Agent Market; Who Could Make Sense?
The Pittsburgh Pirates go into the 2025-26 offseason with some clear needs, and corner outfield help is among the biggest.
Assuming Oneil Cruz is back and center field and assuming Bryan Reynolds will man one of the two corner spots (he played exclusively as a right fielder this year) the Pirates will need to add another outfielder capable of impacting the offense.
It’s no secret the Pirates need lineup help and lots of it. They finished last in baseball in runs scored and home runs in 2025.
There are a few names on the free agent market who make sense, and no, Chicago Cubs All-Star Kyle Tucker is not among them. The Pirates will never shop at the top of the market. They haven’t done it in the past and nothing is going to chance under Bob Nutting.
But there are some players who could fit what the Pirates need. Here are a few of them.
Michael Conforto
Conforto had a poor first — and likely only — year with the Los Angeles Dodgers after signing as a free agent last offseason. In 138 games, he slashed .199/.305/.333 with 20 doubles, 12 home runs and 36 RBI. I know, I know. Adding a player who hit under the Mendoza Line? Blah. But..
The 32-year-old has a strong offensive track record during his 10-year big-league career. Between stops with the Dodgers, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants, Conforto owns a .245/.343/.442 batting line with 202 doubles, 179 home runs and 556 RBI in 1,150 games. He’s one year removed from a 115 OPS+ season, too.
Austin Hays
Hays will only hit free agency if his $12 million mutual option is not exercised, which seems like the likely outcome.
The 30-year-old totaled 103 games in his first year with the Cincinnati Reds in 2025 and hit a respectable .266/.315/.453 with 16 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs and 64 RBI. Should the Pirates aim higher? Probably. But Hays is in their price range and would be an upgrade.
Rob Refsnyder
Refsnyder is a part-time player and he only makes sense if the Pirates pair him with a left-handed hitting option as part of a platoon. In 70 games with the Boston Red Sox this year, he hit .269 with an .838 OPS, 12 doubles, nine home runs and 30 RBI.
He feasted off left-handed pitching, finishing the year with a .959 OPS against southpaws (.616 OPS against right-handers). For his career, the 34-year-old carries a .281/.383/.443 batting line against lefties and a .229/.301/.332 line against righties.
Jesse Winker
A back injury limited Winker to just 26 games with the New York Mets this season, so a physical will be a top priority if the Pirates choose to pursue him. But when healthy, Winker has proven to be a productive player in his career.
The nine-year veteran owns a career .261/.366/.436 batting line (117 OPS+) with 127 doubles, 96 home runs and 334 RBI in 781 games between five teams.
Max Kepler
Kepler hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations from his early days as a pro, but he’s still carved out a pretty solid career. He’s provides strong defense with essentially league-average offense in his big-league career.
In 11 seasons — 10 with the Minnesota Twins and one with the Philadelphia Phillies — Kepler owns a .741 OPS. However, he hit just .216 with a .691 OPS in his first season with the Phillies in 2025. He did, however, slug 18 home runs in 127 games.
Ramón Laureano
The San Diego Padres can exercise a $6.5 million club option to retain Laureano if they choose, but he should be a target for the Pirates if they do not.
Laureano split the year between the Padres and Baltimore Orioles and had the best season of his career. In 132 games between the two teams, the 31-year-old slashed .281/.342/.512 with 26 doubles, 24 home runs and a career-high 76 RBI.
Lane Thomas
I know you’re probably sick of reclamation projects, and I get it. But Thomas feels like a guy who will be on the Pirates’ radar.
Thomas underwent foot surgery which ended his season and only played in 39 games in which he hit just .160. But he has a decent enough track record in seven seasons as a big-leaguer. He’s been a slightly-above league-average player (103 OPS+), has hit 28 home runs in a season (2023) and has stolen 32 bases in another (2024).
Mike Yastrzemski
Yastrzemski is 35 years old but has been one of the steadiest players on this list throughout his career. In 840 games across seven seasons, Yastrzemski has slashed .238/.324/.447 with 162 doubles, 23 triples, 123 home runs and 364 RBI.
He split the 2025 season between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals and slashed .233/.333/.403 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs and 46 RBI. Good bloodlines, too.
Tommy Pham
The Pirates could opt to bring back a familiar face in Pham, who had some highs and lows during the season and was praised throughout for his leadership. If the Pirates do decide to bring back the veteran for a second season in Pittsburgh, it makes more sense to do so as a fourth outfield option instead of giving him a guaranteed starting spot.
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