The Pittsburgh Pirates have added another free agent recently, signing veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna to a guaranteed one-year deal worth $12 million. However, the Pirates apparently aren’t done yet. There is still plenty of offseason left and free agents still available. The Pirates still have room to make improvements before Spring Training starts, and these remaining free agents should be on their radar.
Ramon Urias
Infielder Ramon Urias is coming off a career-worst season at the plate. Most of his struggles came after the Baltimore Orioles traded him to the Houston Astros, where he put up a meager .640 OPS, .277 wOBA, and 76 wRC+ over 101 plate appearances. However, Urias proved to be a solid player during his time with the Orioles.
From the time Urias became a fulltime player in 2022 up until the 2025 trade deadline, the right-handed batter turned in a respectable .254/.314/.400 triple-slash with a .312 wOBA, and 102 wRC+. Urias struck out 21.7% of the time with a 7.1% walk rate. He also hit 39 home runs with an isolated slugging percentage clocking in at .146.
While Urias’ production at the plate was solid, he was a quality defender. He has played all four infield positions in his MLB career, with most of his time spent at third base. Defensive metrics are mixed on his glove at the hot corner. He has +18 defensive runs saved, but -9 outs above average. His glovework at second base grades out better, with +11 DRS and +2 OAA. However, he has spent nearly 2900 innings at third base compared to 712 innings at the keystone.
Urias would give the Pirates another third base option. He has hit in the past, and has provided solid defense at multiple positions. The only downside is the Pirates have a similar player in Jared Triolo. However, another option at the position the Pirates have the least amount of options at right now is not a bad thing.
Zack Littell
If the Pirates are going after any starting pitching, Zack Littell should be number one on their list. The right-hander has developed into a quality right-handed starting pitcher the last two seasons. Last year, he proved to be not just a reliable arm, but also one of the best control pitchers in baseball right now.
Littell tossed 186.2 innings over the course of 32 starts. In that time, he recorded a 3.81 ERA, 4.88 FIP, and 1.10 WHIP. His 17.1% strikeout rate was the sixth lowest of any qualified pitcher last year. However, 4.2% walk rate was the lowest of any pitcher, and was one of just four hurlers with a sub-5% free pass percentage. Littell was prone to the long ball, with a 1.71 HR/9 ratio, but played half of his season in two of the top ten most home run friendly parks in baseball last year.
Littell has had a sub-5% walk rate two years in a row, and an ERA+ of 110 or better. He would be an excellent pitcher to round out the back of their rotation, knowing he can take the ball every five days, and give them quality innings. 2026 will also only be his age-30 season, and the Pirates could sign him for multiple years, securing the back of their rotation beyond just 2026.
Michael Kopech
The Pirates should take a low-risk flier on one of the remaining free agent relievers. Of the remaining bullpen hurlers left on the market, Michael Kopech stands out as the most interesting. Kopech was a former first round pick who was included as a high-profile top prospect in the Chris Sale trade in 2017. However, while Kopech flashed talent as a starter, underperformance held him back, and he was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024. While injuries have continued to affect him, he has shown off some impressive stuff when healthy.
During his time in LA, Kopech owned a 1.56 ERA, 3.16 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP over 35 innings of work. The right-hander struck out nearly 30% of batters, with a 29.1% K%. He also only allowed a single home run and had an elite 5.6% barrel rate. While he did have a 16.3% walk rate, most of the free passes he handed out were during his injury-riddled 2025 campaign. In total, he walked 23 batters, but 13 came in the 11 innings he pitched last year.
But when healthy, there is no denying Kopech has elite stuff. His fastball sits 98 MPH, and he has a FanGraphs Stuff+ of 124. For reference, only 12 qualified relievers had a Stuff+ over 120 in 2025. Kopech is still unsigned, and likely would not cost very much. If the Pirates are able to sign him for less than $8 million for one year, they should take that gamble.
