Ryan O’Hearn: a two-year contract with the Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been fairly unrecognizable since the start of the off-season. The club, which never spends, seems to want to change its ways to add talent.

You don't have to look far to imagine that this has something to do with Paul Skenes, whom they want to keep happy in Pittsburgh, and with the threat of a grievance against the organization.

We know that the Pirates got their hands on Brandon Lowe in a trade in the last few days, but also that the club was in the running for Kyle Schwarber. It didn't work out, but it's worth noting that they're trying for once.

And clearly, the club isn't done shopping: they've just reached an agreement with Ryan O'Hearn, who signed a two-year, $29 million contract in Pittsburgh.

He's been a solid hitter for a few years and was at the All-Star Game in 2025: he's a great catch.

First baseman Ryan O'Hearn and the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a two-year, $29 million contract, sources tell ESPN. O'Hearn, 32, is the latest addition to the Pirates in a very busy winter. @ByRobertMurray broke the news.

– Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 23, 2025

The Pirates, who have good pitchers, needed to bring some offense to their club. And with Lowe and O'Hearn, they got their hands on two guys who, while not superstars, are quality hitters.

And that, in itself, is a big improvement.

But what's clear is that this contract is pretty special in Pittsburgh… because we're talking about a multi-year contract for a free agent.

The last time we saw that in Pittsburgh was December 27… 2016.

Ryan O'Hearn's reported 2-year, $29M deal with the Pirates is their first multi-year free agent deal since they signed Ivan Nova to a 3-year, $26M contract on December 27, 2016 pic.twitter.com/O0FEBf8dnS

– FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 23, 2025

It feels like more than ever, the Pirates want to do everything they can to try and keep Paul Skenes happy. We know he wants to win, and even if the Pirates don't have the budget of the league's big clubs, we have to applaud the fact that they're trying to bring in talent.

And in a National Powerhouse where there's no clear favorite, the club may only be one or two acquisitions away from making some noise in 2026.

This content was created with the help of AI.