The Pittsburgh Pirates might not be the top contenders in the NL Central, but they’re having a much better season than many might’ve anticipated before the season.
But it has a chance to get even better if some of the struggling players turn it around, or if they add some help at the trade deadline. However, it could’ve been better had the Pirates made a different decision this past offseason.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report identified the Pirates’ top offseason regret as the only move that could’ve made sense for such a label, as a $12 million signing of Marcell Ozuna has been a clear disappointment.
“Offseason Regret: Signing Marcell Ozuna,” Miller writes. “… On the whole, though, we’re still talking about a sub-.600 OPS from a $12M designated hitter who was north of .900 in each of 2023 and 2024.”
The Pirates were hoping for Ozuna to return to his 2023 and 2024 forms, but instead, the regression he showed in 2025 seems to have been a warning sign, as he’s gotten worse this year and is clearly the biggest regret the Pirates have from their successful offseason.
Pirates’ biggest regret is obviously signing Marcell Ozuna
If the Pirates had signed Ozuna to a small contract, as opposed to this $12 millon deal, this might not be that bad of a move.
But, not only is Ozuna struggling, but the Pirates, a team that doesn’t typically spend much, are spending $12 million on a player to be one of the worst hitters on the team.
This season, Ozuna, the 35-year-old veteran, has a .187 batting average with -0.6 bWAR on the year across 155 at-bats in 42 games. He has a .590 OPS and a 65 OPS+.
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In his Major League career, only his 2021 season was of similar disappointment, as he had a 65 OPS+ that season. But his .645 OPS was significantly better than it is this year, showing just how bad the $12 million slugger has been for Pittsburgh.
Ozuna has been a brutal mistake for the Pirates, and they will likely have to find an alternative to him at the DH spot, whether it’s a prospect promotion or a trade pickup.
There wasn’t a player more fitting of the “regret” label for the Pirates than Ozuna. They made nice moves for Brandon Lowe and Ryan O’Hearn this offseason, but the Ozuna signing was a complete failure.
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