Jason Mackey: Pirates need to add offense. Here's a road map for how they should proceed.

PITTSBURGH — That the Pirates must improve their offense this winter is obvious. How they do it creates a larger discussion.

Raising payroll should certainly be a part, although the odds of them signing Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger are likely so bad that they don't exist.

The good news: There are other ways to add bats, from free agent signings that are more realistic for the Pirates to trades for impactful players who could be acquired without selling the farm.

Bottom line, the Pirates have plenty of work ahead.

"We've got to deliver better to our fans," general manager Ben Cherington said. "That's very clear. It's in my mind all the time. I want to do that. Totally hear the frustration. Bottom line, we've just gotta deliver."

It would be great if the Pirates delivering was as simple as walking into a store and making a choice or three. It's not. There's nuance, including the Pirates winning 76, 76 and 71 games the past three years and not exactly being the preferred destination for quality free agents.

So, how could they proceed? Let's take a look:

Probably pipe dreams

The two areas of focus should be left field and third base, as they were MLB's least productive spots from an offensive standpoint this past season.

Eugenio Suarez would look great at the hot corner after slugging 49 homers for the Diamondbacks and Mariners this season, his sixth campaign with 30 or more over the past eight years.

But why wouldn't Seattle want to retain the 34-year-old who posted an .824 OPS? Or, at minimum, why wouldn't another (more competitive) team be more attractive to Suarez than the Pirates?

It's not to say Pittsburgh shouldn't try. It's just hard to see it lining up.

The same for someone like Luis Robert Jr., who's projected to make $21.9 million on a six-year deal (per Spotrac) — assuming the White Sox don't exercise his club option — Pete Alonso or ($29.4 million over six years) or Bo Bichette ($23.3 million over eight years).

Great players. They'd surely help. It's just hard to see any of it happening. From either side.

More free agency

Having to navigate the second, third or fourth cut obviously isn't ideal, but it's still possible to find players who could help the Pirates improve their offense.

Max Kepler of the Phillies is one name who fits that profile.

The 32-year-old is coming off a two-season stretch where he has hit 26 homers in 232 games while posting a .687 OPS. That would need to improve. But he's a left-handed hitter (plays well at PNC Park) and only once has finished outside of the top 35 in Baseball Savant's outs above average (in 2025).

In 2023, Kepler hit 24 home runs and had an .816 OPS in Minnesota. He's been mostly a right fielder, but that shouldn't be an impediment.

With a projected salary of $7.6 million, it would be an opportunity for the Pirates to overpay, take a risk and acquire someone who's been productive on winning teams. Perhaps for multiple years.

There's a similar situation available with Harrison Bader, who's a buyout candidate in Philadelphia due to his $10 million option for 2026.

Bader was certainly more productive than Kepler, finishing with a .277 average, .796 OPS and 4.2 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference. He's also a former Gold Glove winner who could move to left field while mentoring Oneil Cruz.

Having better options could be a concern with Bader after his career-high bWAR. Same time, if his market matches the initial projection (two years, $20 million), it shouldn't stop the Pirates from overpaying to secure a deal.

Another gamble that might make sense is Cedric Mullins, the longtime Oriole who was traded to the Mets this past season. On one hand, Mullins produced a 0.4 bWAR in 2025 and hit just .216 with a .690 OPS.

However, he's also still only 31 and in 2024 was worth 2.6 bWAR, concluding a four-year run where he totaled 15.7. From 2021-24, Mullins was a darn good five-tool player, averaging 19.75 home runs and 28.75 steals per season.

With a projection of $6.7 million on a one-year deal, there's once again that chance for the Pirates do what they did with Russell Martin, out-bidding teams on a lower scale and betting correctly that he had more to offer.

Same deal for Michael Conforto, really. Right now, Conforto is projected to get $6.7 million after a season where he was worth minus-0.7 bWAR. Would certainly look like bad business on the surface.

But the Pirates would be betting he could once again become the player he was in 2024 (20 homers, .759) or the type with four 20-plus homer seasons and a career .785 OPS.

Some riskier bets

What, you thought that was it? Hardly.

There are plenty of options, and we haven't even gotten to trades, which may wind up being the most important thing for the Pirates this winter.

Given their situation, the Pirates should be open to any and all options. Third base and left field are certainly positions of need, but that doesn't mean you have to take a direct route to get there.

The idea should be improving the offense and also adding some clubhouse character along the way.

The Pirates should have made themselves uncomfortable last year by offering multiple years to Paul Goldschmidt. It would've been a good bet, too, as he signed with the Yankees and hit .274 with a .731 OPS. Not what the former National League Most Valuable Player once did, but still an improvement over what the Pirates have.

It would force some creativity with Spencer Horwitz, but so what?

Goldschmidt is a career .324 hitter against lefties and has a 1.007 OPS when facing them. Those numbers this past season: .336 and .981.

Yes, Goldschmidt is 38. But he's won Gold Gloves, knows how it's done and can absolutely help a team.

You could also make a case for Josh Naylor, who had 20 homers and 30 steals this past season and a year ago put a career-high 31 over the fence. There's more redundancy at first, especially because Naylor hits left-handed, and he's hardly played any outfield since '21.

But with the Pirates offensive needs, they need to be open-minded.

Last one: Trent Grisham.

Grisham could command more than his $12.1 million projection (over four years) because he doubled his previous career-high in homers with 34. Or other teams could be hesitant because he struggled defensively in center field (-3 fielding run value, per Baseball Savant) and hit .191 from 2022-24.

There's risk, sure. Tends to happen when you're shopping with the Pirates' company card.

Trades worth considering

Speaking of that, given the Pirates' perpetual fiscal state, you can never downplay the importance of building through trades, especially when they have Mitch Keller sitting there for $16.9 million and available back-fill in the form of talented young starting pitching.

There are several ways this could line up as a way to potentially improve the offense, starting with another call to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Chris Archer trade hasn't been forgotten, but it shouldn't stop the Pirates from pursuing Brandon Lowe, who would make a ton of sense for them. Here's why:

— Lowe could play second, first, right or left.

— He hit 31 home runs, had a .785 OPS and was worth 1.8 bWAR in 2025.

— He has a $11.5 million club option that often means the end of the line for teams like the Rays; they sustain small-market success by trading one year of performance for multiple assets.

Pittsburgh has the capital to start a conversation. With Yandy Diaz, Junior Caminero, Carson Williams and Taylor Walls, the Rays have plenty of infield talent. Mitch Keller? Termarr Johnson? Another young starter? Whatever.

Lowe has accumulated 120 homers and a .792 OPS over his past 564 MLB games, meaning he's averaging about 34 bombs over a 162-game season. That'll play.

There are also lesser-known deals out there that would make sense.

The Orioles need pitching, they've expressed interest in a few Pirates, and they might not have a home for Jordan Westburg, who has 35 homers in 192 games the past two seasons while posting an OPS+ (100 is average) of 121.

Westburg is still a year away from arbitration. He'd solve their third-base problem long-term and has been an above-average defender over there since making his MLB debut in 2023.

Outfielder JJ Bleday of the Athletics is another youngish player who may be squeezed out of spot who could conceivably help the Pirates. The acquisition cost may be lower given Bleday's struggles to start 2025 and his career .702 OPS.

However, he's a year removed from producing an OPS+ of 120 and rediscovered that form late this past season after returning from a stint in Triple-A. It could be a risk worth taking for someone who profiles more as a corner outfielder and is only starting the arbitration process.

In conclusion

Bottom line, something needs to happen. Internal improvement only accounts for so much. It's time for the Pirates to do business differently this offseason.

Nobody expects them to sign Kyle Schwarber or other top-tier bats. But with a stated sense of urgency, no other changes and the money they cleared out at the deadline, they absolutely need to obtain external help that also restores some level of confidence.

As you can see, there several avenues worth exploring. It's (past) time to get started.

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