Surprise NL Central team could be major player in 2025-26 free agent market

The NL Central hierarchy hasn't been this clear in quite some time.

At the top is the Milwaukee Brewers, who have won four of the past five division titles and just advanced to the NLCS. No matter what the power rankings say, they are the clear cream of the crop in the division.

Following them is the Chicago Cubs, who, despite some serious personnel losses this offseason, look poised to repeat their 90-win effort from 2025. The Cincinnati Reds are smack dab in the middle, so long as they don't trade Hunter Greene over the winter. And the St. Louis Cardinals, on the cusp of their first legitimate rebuild this century, are a distant fourth.

Way in the back is where you'll find the Pittsburgh Pirates, who haven't been a relevant factor in the picture in a decade. Since 2017, they've finished fourth or fifth in the NL Central every year.

However, they do possess quite a bit of talent on the pitching side, headlined by all-universe ace Paul Skenes. With a dreadful offense that hit for as much power as a little league team in 2025, the Pirates clearly need to bring in some external pieces to maximize their window while Skenes is still around.

And, shockingly, they may be preparing to do just that. According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the most notorious penny-pinchers in the league may be gearing up to spend some actual money this offseason.

Pirates can't bridge gap to Brewers in NL Central, but they could make life harder for other division rivals

"I heard that the Marlins and Pirates are telling agents, 'Hey, we'd like to be agressive; we'd like to spend a little bit," Rosenthal shockingly revealed while at the General Manager Meetings in Las Vegas. "Now, that can be in free agency, or it can be in the matter of taking on salaries in trades."

Before any Pirates fans who happened to find their way here get too excited, it's important to remember the context of the baseball landscape right now. The Athletics splurged last offseason after threats of the MLBPA filing a grievance against their payroll habits were made public, and with rumors of a lockout amidst new CBA negotiations next offseason, the Pirates may fear a salary cap floor to go along with the rumored salary cap ceiling.

Still, even if the Pirates make moves simply to appease the players union, that would be a big step forward for a franchise that has never spent more than $40 million on a free agent.

Now, nothing Pittsburgh does will likely bridge the gap between them and Milwaukee—they'd have to pull a complete 180 and sign guys like Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman for that to happen, which simply isn't in the cards.

However, with a few wise maneuvers, they could mount a serious challenge to the Reds and perhaps even the Cubs in the lower rungs of the division. It'd be a shame to lose some free wins for the schedule, but it's probably best for the division (and baseball in general) if the Pirates at least pretend to be competitive in 2026.