PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates took another step toward being a contender in 2026, agreeing to a $29 million, two-year contract with All-Star first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn designed to give one of the worst offenses in the majors a boost.
A person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the deal includes $500,000 annually in performance bonuses. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because it was not yet official.
O’Hearn receives the first multiple-year free agent deal the Pirates have agreed to together since 2016. The left-handed O’Hearn is coming off the best season of his big league career. He hit .281 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs in 2025 and made the All-Star team for the first time while playing for Baltimore and San Diego.
The rare splurge by the Pirates is their second significant acquisition in less than a week. Pittsburgh acquired two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from Tampa Bay on Dec. 19 as part of a three-team deal that included sending starting pitcher Mike Burrows to Houston.
Pittsburgh has vowed to build around a pitching staff that includes reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and rookie Bubba Chandler. The Pirates are coming off a 71-91 season in which the offense finished at or near the bottom of the majors in most significant statistical categories, including runs and home runs.
O’Hearn gives Pittsburgh a bit of versatility. He has played both first base and a corner outfield spot. The Pirates have the left-hand hitting Spencer Horwitz at first, though O’Hearn could see time there and perhaps in the outfield to play alongside Oneil Cruz and two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds.
O’Hearn is a career .252 hitter, though his numbers have spiked over the last three seasons. He is batting .277 with 46 homers and 182 RBIs since the start of 2023 and now finds himself playing half his games in a ballpark where the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall starts just 320 feet from home plate. In Baltimore, O’Hearn played in over 300 games and hit 42 home runs during the 2023, 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Orioles traded him to the Padres before the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
The Baltimore Sun’s staff contributed to this report.