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Pirates Free Agent Outfield Options Running Thin; Who is Still Available?

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Alex Verdugo, Pittsburgh Pirates

The once fruitful free agent market for outfielders is starting to turn bare, which is bad news for the Pittsburgh Pirates.



The top two options remaining both signed in recent days. The Toronto Blue Jays pried Anthony Santander away from the Baltimore Orioles to a five-year deal worth $92.5 million and includes heavy deferrals. On Thursday, the Atlanta Braves signed 2024 All-Star Jurickson Profar for three years and $42 million.

Both deals are more than reasonable. But at the same time, both deals represent levels the Pirates have never reached. Both guarantees are larger than the richest free agent contract ever given out by Pittsburgh — Francisco Liriano’s $39 million from over a decade ago.

With both players finally finding new homes, the market is thinning, but the Pirates still have an obvious need in right field. As currently projected, the starting right fielder would be Joshua Palacios, Jack Suwinski or Billy Cook if the season started today.

While there is still time to add, the Pirates are going to have to do something they rarely do and show some urgency. Sure, trades are still possible, but if the Pirates tap into free agency for the third time this winter, there are only a handful of options left that could make sense.

Austin Hays

Hays had spent his entire big-league career with the Orioles prior to getting dealt to the Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline. While he struggled offensively after the trade, Hays has a pretty solid track record in his career.

In 579 games played across seven seasons, the 29-year-old carries a .261/.313/.432 batting line with 126 home runs, 68 home runs and 248 RBIs. He hit .255 with 14 home runs in 63 games with the Orioles to start last season before mustering just a .672 OPS and two homers in 22 games in Philadelphia.

Hays has experience at all three outfield spots and grades above-average at all three spots in defensive runs saved for his career. The bulk of his experience has come at the corner outfield spots.

Alex Verdugo

Verdugo had a down lone season with the Yankees but has been essentially league-average performer at the plate for his career, which would represent an upgrade for the lowly Pirates’ offense.

Verdugo, 28, is a high-contact hitter with a career .272 batting average and a 15% strikeout rate. His power, however, is fairly limited with 70 home runs in 800 games and a career-high of 13 homers in a season (done three times).

As with Hays, Verdugo has played all three outfield spots and rates as a good defender. He was a Gold Glove finalist as a left fielder with the Yankees in 2024.

Randal Grichuk

The Pirates have already been linked to Grichuk this offseason and at this point, the veteran is one of the best remaining options.

The right-handed hitting Grichuk was primarily used as a platoon option with the Diamondbacks last season, totaling 279 plate appearances in 106 games. The strategy was effective as Grichuk hit .291 with an .875 OPS and 34 extra-base hits including 12 home runs. While the 33-year-old received just 95 plate appearances against righties last year, he did manage an .801 OPS against them.

Grichuk has seen more times as a designated hitter than earlier in his career but he’s still an adequate defender.

Ramón Laureano

Laureano struggled out of the gate with the Guardians to begin the season but turned around his fortunes after he was picked up by the Braves.

In 67 games with Atlanta, Laureano hit .296 with an .832 OPS and slugged 10 home runs. In seven big-league seasons between the A’s, Guardians and Braves, the 30-year-old has a career .749 OPS with 122 doubles and 82 home runs in 610 games.

In 242 career games as a right fielder, Laureano has posted 19 defensive runs saves with 19 outfield assists and a .980 fielding percentage.

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