12/23/25 04:09:00
Printable Page
12/23 16:07 CST All-Star first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and Pirates to a $29
million, 2-year deal, AP source says
All-Star first baseman Ryan O'Hearn and Pirates to a $29 million, 2-year deal,
AP source says
By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
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 Kansas
City 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.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
|
