Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Pirates face a critical decision at the trade deadline with multiple key players currently sidelined.
- The absence of Konnor Griffin will force the front office to consider short-term fixes while balancing long-term roster goals.
- The next few weeks will test whether the team's optimism about remaining buyers holds up.
The Pittsburgh Pirates spent the offseason being buyers, and it worked. General Manager Ben Cherington was aggressive in the winter, his biggest moves trading for Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe and signing outfielder/first baseman Ryan O’Hearn to a two-year, $29-million contract in free agency.
Lowe and O’Hearn have had a transformative effect on the Pirates’ offense. Pittsburgh is third in the major leagues with an average of 5.24 runs scored per game after finishing last in that category last season. Lowe leads the Pirates with 21 home runs and 64 RBI in 86 games while hitting .247/.319/.497. O’Hearn has a slash line of .293/.350/.497 with 16 homers and 61 RBIs in 70 games.
But it might not be enough for the Pirates to again be buyers at the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline: Pittsburgh is still 11 ½ games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers and four games out in the wild card standings. Complicating matters for the Pirates is their injured list, where four regulars are currently sitting: catcher Endy Rodriguez, first baseman Spencer Horwitz, center fielder Oneil Cruz and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin.
The Pirates still believe they're buyers
The Pirates are optimistic that Rodriguez, Horwitz and Cruz will return by the end of the month. Griffin, though, is expected to miss 8-10 weeks after being placed on the injured list with a torn tendon in his left ring finger. Some in the organization think the 20-year-old might not play again this season to ensure he will be healthy for the beginning of next season.
Despite Griffin’s situation and having nearly half of the lineup sidelined, Cherington says he still plans on the Pirates being buyers at the deadline, while admitting plans could change if they lose ground in the wild card chase this month.
“[Injuries] haven’t changed how we think about the deadline or this team in 2026,” Cherington said Wednesday. “It’ll matter in terms of exactly what choices we make between now and the end of July. In terms of the bigger picture of believing that we have an opportunity in front of us and wanting to improve the team, focused on that. It hasn’t changed that.”
Should Pittsburgh trade for a shortstop?
Jared Triolo has taken over at shortstop and is a strong defender as evidenced by the National League Gold Glove he won in 2024 for a utility player. However, hitting has held Triolo back in the past, and he has a .236/.310/.309 slash line and only one home run over 59 games.
The Pirates may need to acquire a shortstop, at least for short term, while Griffin spends a large part of remainder of the season rehabbing his injury. A potential fill-in would preferably be on an expiring contract because Griffin signed a nine-year, $140-million contract in April, the largest in franchise history in terms of total dollars. A potential reunion with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who is playing for the Boston Red Sox, might make sense.
“Obviously a lot of trust in (Triolo), but (Griffin’s injury) changes it a little bit,” Cherington said of the shortstop situation. “Probably open-minded. I don’t think we’re that far along yet to know exactly how much energy we’ll put into that.”
Why Konnor Griffin is so difficult to replace
Regardless of who replaces him, the Pirates will miss Griffin. In 59 games, he is batting .276/.332/.404 with five homers and 20 stolen bases, including .314/.368/.472 in 40 games since he turned 20 on April 24.
“A ton,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said when asked how much better Griffin has become since making his MLB debut on April 3. “We knew he was going to impact the game in a lot of different ways from defensively and base running which we’ve seen, and then offensively that make the adjustments as quick as he’s been able to make them. It’s been fascinating to see his growth in such a short period of time.”
Now that improvement will be interrupted for at least two months and possibly the beginning of spring training in 2027. “It’s a punch in the gut,” Kelly said. “Konnor is a huge part of the team.”
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