The Pirates have agreed to one-year contracts with outfielder Jack Suwinski and right-handed reliever Yohan Ramírez. The deals mean they will avoid arbitration with both players, and that both will remain on the roster ahead of Friday’s non-tender deadline.
Suwinski’s one-year deal is for $1.25 million, according to a source. This was the first time Suwinski was eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player. Ramírez's deal is for $825,000, according to a source.
Suwinski was once viewed as a potential building block of a rebuilding Pirates club, hitting 26 home runs with a .793 OPS in 2023. While he was prone to extended cold streaks and struggled against left-handers, he was one of the top-performing hitting prospects to come through the farm system.
The past two years have been a different story. Suwinski has bounced between the Majors and Minors since 2024, and he slashed .147/.281/.253 with three home runs in 178 plate appearances last year. He did do better with Triple-A Indianapolis, hitting .283 with a .954 OPS over 230 plate appearances.
Suwinski is out of Minor League options, so he will need to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster or be cut. This essentially makes this a “prove it” deal where if he pans out, the team still has three years of arbitration control. If it doesn’t, he and the Pirates will have to part ways.
The outfield is expected to be an area the Pirates will try to bolster this offseason as they aim to improve their offense.
Ramírez is also out of Minor League options and is on a “prove it” deal, too. The journeyman reliever signed a Minor League deal last offseason and pitched his way onto the Major League roster by midseason, where he went 3-3 with a 5.40 ERA over 33 1/3 innings.
The non-tender deadline is 8 p.m. ET Friday. The Pirates’ roster is full at 40 players.