The Pittsburgh Pirates and left-handed reliever Gregory Soto have agreed to a one-year $7.75 million contract. The 30-year old Soto had a 4.18 ERA in 70 appearances last season for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He is a two-time MLB All-Star.
The Pirates failed in their efforts to attract slugger Kyle Schwarber to Pittsburgh. Schwarber agreed to return to Philadelphia on a five-year contract. The Pirates reportedly offered Schwarber four years and $120 million.
The Chicago White Sox secured the first pick in the 2026 MLB draft by winning baseball’s annual draft lottery Tuesday at the winter meetings. The Pirates received the fifth overall selection, despite having the third-best odds of receiving the top pick. It’s the seventh consecutive year the Pirates will have a top-10 pick. Because they will pick in the top-six lottery picks in two consecutive years, they are now ineligible for a top-10 pick in 2027.
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