PITTSBURGH — As expected as it might've been given the challenge of signing Japanese players, especially ones of his caliber, the Pittsburgh Pirates failing to land Kazuma Okamoto was a tough pill to swallow.

But it won't define their offseason. At least it better not.

The important part becomes the pivot, the next move, and the good news is that the Pirates still have myriad options to address third base and/or add at least one more bonafide bat.

Here's a look at those, as well as another move fans can expect to see:

Next in free agency

With Okamoto off the board, attention will shift to Eugenio Suarez, if it wasn't already there. The 34-year-old makes plenty of sense, too.

He posted career highs in home runs (49, tied) and RBIs (118) while splitting 159 games last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. Suarez also produced his best OPS (.824) since 2019.

The defense isn't great, and Suarez hit just .228 a year ago, but he's averaged 33 homers and 155 games played over the past full nine seasons. That'll play.

It's possible Suarez's market was delayed as teams waited for Okamoto to make his decision, but now that we're past that, Suarez could be the next domino to fall.

The Pirates have kept tabs on Suarez and remain interested, though it's hard to say they're the favorites to land the two-time All-Star.

Suarez will likely want a three-year deal and should have the numbers to get it. That means the Pirates could theoretically have to offer four to separate themselves, and that's not smart business.

They could also overpay on a three-year deal, but that would push the contract's average annual value into the $20-million-a-year range.

Again, would be great to see. Just not holding my breath.

Trade targets remain

Similar to Jhostynxon Garcia for Johan Oviedo, as well as Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum (plus lefty reliever Mason Montgomery) for Mike Burrows, another trade might be the most reasonable outcome.

Without the current infrastructure — meaning Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn and Mangum — I thought differently about adding Alec Bohm from the Phillies. As someone with just one 20-homer season on his resume, would that really move the needle?

It feels different now, especially if the acquisition cost is reasonable. The salary also allows for more offseason creativity, which will be covered below.

Bohm might not finish with as many homers as Suarez or Okamoto, but he did hit .287 with a .741 OPS in 2025. The year before: .280 and .779 during a 3.0 bWAR campaign.

In the final year of arbitration with a projected salary of $10.5 million, it shouldn't cost a ton to get Bohm.

Another possible route is Jordan Westburg from the Baltimore Orioles, who has less of a resume but comes with more team control than Bohm.

Westburg, 26 with just 260 games of experience over three seasons, has homered 35 times in 192 games the past two years, a rate not terribly different than Suarez's nine-year sample.

The question becomes whether the Orioles would move Westburg for pitching and whether the Pirates might have to give up major leaguers instead of a prospect or two to do it.

Josh Jung is another younger option if he's viewed as expendable by the Rangers. Jung was an All-Star in 2023, hitting 23 home runs and posting a .781 OPS while finishing fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting the year his team won the World Series. But he's also coming off a down year.

Arbitration-eligible for the first time ($2.9 million projected), Jung's an upside add and could be a smart bet considering injuries likely affected his production more than anything.

One hard pass for me would be Yoan Moncada, a player Pirates general manager Ben Cherington signed out of Cuba during his Red Sox days. Pittsburgh can replicate the production while spending money elsewhere.

Moncada, 30, hasn't been worth more than 0.9 bWAR since 2021. Injuries have limited him to an average of just 63 games over the past three years, with an OPS+ of 107. No need here.

Keep in mind ...

Yes, it would be great for the Pirates to sign a player for $17-$20 million on top of $96 million in current payroll commitments and expect them to keep going.

It's also not super realistic.

Which is why I'd rather see the Pirates get creative with the next bat they add and instead make a run at extending Konnor Griffin this spring. Because they'll likely need the cash.

In December 2023, Jackson Chourio of the Brewers signed an eight-year, $82 million deal before his MLB debut. This past August, Roman Anthony — just 46 games into his MLB career — inked an eight-year extension with the Red Sox worth $130 million.

In other words, the price has gone up on these types of contracts. Yet it's still smart business for the Pirates to take a calculated risk for cost certainty and a future bargain.

The Pirates could get Griffin for essentially half-price if they act now. The message it would send to fans would also be powerful and exciting.

Don't forget about ...

Third base also isn't the Pirates' only remaining need. After trading Oviedo and Burrows, they could use some back-fill in their starting rotation.

They also have a history of adding left-handed starters and leveraging how PNC Park plays. Those things should align this offseason for a Jose Quintana reunion. The fit is perfect.

In 131 2/3 innings with the Brewers last season, Quintana had a 3.96 ERA and 1.291 WHIP that was similar to how he performed in Pittsburgh (3.50 and 1.272). At 37, it's doubtful Quintana is eyeing a huge payday. He likely wants to win and be somewhere where knows he could have individual success.

The Pirates, who should check both of those boxes, could use a lefty in their rotation and a veteran to eat innings considering Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones, Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington could all have some type of governor put on them.

They could also shoot higher than Quintana, which wouldn't be a problem. The same for adding another reliever. But it's why executing a smart trade rather than overpaying for a third-base bat could actually make sense when it comes to setting up the rest of their offseason.

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