Pirates missing out on Eugenio Suarez signing draws honest Ken Rosenthal message

The Pittsburgh Pirates swung and missed on one of their biggest free agent targets this Major League Baseball offseason, in Eugenio Suarez. Suarez whiffed on an offer from the Pirates, to go ahead and sign with the Cincinnati Reds for one season. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal is trying to understand what went wrong for Pittsburgh.

Rosenthal says the Pirates were evaluating Suarez properly, but needed to frankly overpay for him in order to get him.

“If you’re going to play in this arena….well then go do it, and then don’t kind of do it halfway,” Rosenthal said on Foul Territory.

If the Pirates are valuing players properly, they can't expect to get deals done with higher-level free agents, says @Ken_Rosenthal.

"If you're going to play in this arena, then don't kind of do it halfway." pic.twitter.com/XcHMkz9evB

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 3, 2026

Pittsburgh not only lost on a major target, but also lost that target to a division rival. The Reds finished ahead of the Pirates in the NL Central standings in 2025.

The Pirates are trying to rebuild from yet another disappointing campaign. Pittsburgh finished last season with a 71-91 record.

Can the Pirates have success despite striking out on Eugenio Suarez?

Pittsburgh is already dealing with another crisis. The Pirates are dragging their feet on re-signing veteran Andrew McCutchen, who has vocally expressed his frustration about that.

The Bucs are trying to get some offense to complement their strong pitching. Pittsburgh finished dead last in home runs in Major League Baseball during the 2025 season. As a result, the team traded this offseason for hitter Brandon Lowe. Pittsburgh also signed free agent Ryan O’Hearn.

The Pirates though wanted a lot more, and didn’t get it. Pittsburgh missed out on free agents Josh Naylor, Kyle Schwarber and now Suarez. Suarez is returning to the Reds for the second time in his long MLB career.

“I’m here now to help this team. Not to be a super hero but to be my best version (of myself),” Suarez said after joining the Reds, per The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Pirates fans hope that this loss doesn’t hurt Pittsburgh for 2026. The goal is to reach the postseason, with ace Paul Skenes leading the way. The Pirates haven’t made the postseason since 2015.

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