Pirates Winter Meetings News and Notes 1.0: Details on Schwarber Offer, Skepticism on Polanco, More
I never really thought that I would type these words but the Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the teams at the center of attention during the Winter Meetings in Orlando.
Though they’ve only made one move of note to date — a five-player swap involving Johan Oviedo and Jhostynxon García with the Boston Red Sox — there are a lot of rumors surrounding the Pirates, who actually seem determined to spend some money.
Tuesday marks the second day of the Winter Meetings. Here are some news and notes regarding the Pirates so far.
Details on Pirates Offer to Schwarber
It was a bit of a shock to see the Pirates make an offer two designated hitter and National League MVP runner-up Kyle Schwarber. Pittsburgh offered to slugger a four-year contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosenthal provided further details of the offer on Tuesday morning. The offer was reportedly “in the $120 million range,” according to Rosenthal, which raised my eyebrows even more upon reading of the news.
If Schwarber ended up in Pittsburgh — which remains unlikely — the deal would not only shatter the largest free agent agreement in franchise history but would be the largest contract ever given by the Pirates.
Francisco Liriano’s three-year, $39 million deal in the 2014-15 offseason remains the largest free agent prize the Pirates have ever landed while Bryan Reynolds’ $106.75 extension signed a couple years ago remains the largest total sum.
For a team in dire need of help on offense, not many players would present a bigger upgrade than Schwarber. The 32-year-old finished the 2025 season with an MLB-leading 132 RBI, a National League-leading 56 home runs and .928 OPS with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Though the safe guess is that he returns to Philadelphia, seeing the Pirates offer $30 million in average annual value is an encouraging sign.
Skepticism Polanco Signs With Pirates
If the Pirates don’t land Schwarber, they will be forced to pivot to other free agent options. Among the other players that they are interested in is infielder Jorge Polanco.
Polanco, 32, helped guide the Seattle Mariners to the American League Championship series after hitting .265 with an .821 OPS, 30 doubles, 26 home runs and 77 RBI.
While Polanco is a great fit on paper and is much more affordable than Schwarber, Rosenthal noted doubts he would sign with the Pirates, even if they make him the highest offer. The reasoning? Polanco wants to win and has been to the playoffs more often than not over the last nine seasons. The Pirates, during that time, haven’t been to the postseason once.
Ketel Marte’s No-Trade List Reportedly Includes Pirates
If the Pirates wanted to make a huge splash this offseason, a trade for Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte would fit the criteria.
Marte has been one of the better payers in baseball over the last few seasons and was named an All-Star for the second straight year in 2025. He ended this past season with a .283/.376/.517 batting line with 28 doubles, 28 home runs and 72 RBI in 126 games.
The Diamondbacks are said to be looking for pitching in any potential deal and the Pirates have a surplus in that department. But it all might be moot, as the Pirates are apparently on the 32-year-old’s no-trade list, as Jon Heyman said during a Q&A on Bleacher Report on Monday.
Marlins Poach Coach From Minors
The Miami Marlins are hiring Blake Butler as their infield coach, according to Isaac Azout of Fish on First. Butler had been serving as manager of the High-A Greensboro in Pittsburgh’s minor-league system. Greensboro was named the Pirates’ minor-league staff of the year.
More about:Pirates