The Pittsburgh Pirates are seeking additional depth at third base as they prepare for the upcoming season and are exploring potential roster upgrades.
According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who spoke on 93.7 The Fan, two possible options under consideration are Brent Baty and Mark Vientos of the New York Mets.
Mackey said that they’re looking for players on cheaper contracts with years of team control, which Baty and Vientos both have, but knocks them out of landing Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes, who they’ve been linked with.
Speaking about the team’s search at third base, the report indicated they are exploring multiple avenues — possibly as many as six different options. The infielders from the New York Mets remain under consideration, as the club has shown significant interest there. However, Isaac Paredes is not among the players being pursued.
Will The Pirates Actually Trade for Vientos and Baty?
The Pirates have made some big additions this offseason, adding to their lineup in an attempt to support their stellar pitching staff and end a decade-long absence from the playoffs.
Baty and Vientos are young third baseman, in their final year of pre-arbitration, where they’ll make a little more than league minimum, $780,000 in 2026, then have three years of arbitration, keeping them from free agency until the end of the decade.
Both players are clearly desirable for a team like the Pirates, who have generally one of the lowest payrolls of any MLB team, giving them a solid addition with four years of team control.
The Mets added free agent Bo Bichette this offseason, who will serve as the Mets starting third baseman. Baty and Vientos are also joined by Ronny Mauricio, giving the Mets four different third baseman.
The Pirates would likely have an easier time landing Vientos than Baty, who the Mets value more as a utility player, but both players will command a decent trade return.
Pittsburgh will likely have to include a MLB-ready bat, such as catcher Joey Bart, but also a pitching prospect, as New York showed interest in their young talented aces this offseason, for a trade to work.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has been aggressive this offseason with trades and it wouldn’t come as surprising to see him add a third baseman, even if not Vientos or Baty.
Why the Pirates Have Interest in Vientos and Baty
The Pittsburgh Pirates currently have limited depth at third base, with Jared Triolo standing as their lone dependable option at the position entering the 2026 season.
Although Triolo earned a Gold Glove Award for his work as a utility player, he has yet to put together a full season of steady offensive production. As a result, Pittsburgh has focused on improving its lineup this offseason in an effort to strengthen its run production for 2026.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have pursued several third-base targets this offseason but have come up short each time. Among the players they were linked to are Japanese standout Kazuma Okamoto, along with Jorge Polanco, Willi Castro, Yoán Moncada, and most recently Eugenio Suárez, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds.
With the free-agent market largely picked over at this stage of the offseason, exploring trades appears to be the most practical path forward for Pittsburgh.
As for Mark Vientos, he enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024 but experienced a dip in production in 2025, including a drop in home runs from 27 to 17 last season.
He is also a much better defensive third baseman than Vientos, with +4 DRS and +2 OAA, an improvement from his first two seasons in the major leagues, combining for a -8 DRS and -5 OAA.
Baty does hit left-handed, but his defensive skills would translate well to a Pirates team that needs some good gloves in the lineup too.
