The Pirates agreed to contracts for the 2026 season with Dennis Santana, Joey Bart, Oneil Cruz and Justin Lawrence Thursday, meaning they will not need to go to arbitration with anyone this spring.
Terms of the deal were not announced, but sources told MLB.com that Santana will make $3.5 million in 2026, Bart $2.53 million, Cruz $3.3 million and Lawrence $1.225 million.
Santana was the Pirates’ top reliever last year, racking up 16 saves and inheriting the ninth inning after David Bednar was dealt at the Trade Deadline. His 2.7 WAR, according to Baseball-Reference, was the second highest on the 2025 team after Paul Skenes, and he went 4-5 with a 2.18 ERA over 70 1/3 innings.
Santana is positioned to again be one of the Pirates’ go-to leverage relievers this season. He is set to be a free agent after the 2026 season.
Cruz did not have the big year many anticipated or hoped for in 2025, as his OPS dropped nearly 100 points to .676, but he still recorded his second straight 20-20 season and tied for the National League lead in stolen bases with 38. He is going to be entering a pivotal season of his career, but the organization has voiced optimism that their 27-year-old center fielder can bounce back.
Bart also saw his OPS drop roughly 100 points last year, as he was unable to build off of the power surge he experienced when coming to Pittsburgh in 2024. His .355 on-base percentage still led the Pirates, and he hit .249 with a .696 OPS, four home runs and 30 RBIs over 332 plate appearances.
Lawrence was claimed off waivers from the Rockies last March. While a shoulder injury limited him to only 17 2/3 innings last year, the results were terrific, allowing just one earned run (0.51 ERA) with 23 strikeouts. The sidearm reliever is expected to be a leverage arm in the Pirates’ bullpen this year.
This was the first year Cruz and Lawrence were eligible for salary arbitration. Bart has another year of team control remaining via arbitration in 2027. Cruz and Lawrence have two more years of arbitration control remaining after 2026.
The Pirates had previously agreed to one-year contracts to avoid arbitration with outfielder Jack Suwinski and right-handed reliever Yohan Ramírez ahead of the non-tender deadline in November. Suwinski’s contract is for $1.25 million after being arbitration-eligible as a Super-Two player, and Ramírez’s is for $825,000.
These four players were under team control for 2026, but Thursday was the deadline to exchange figures for salary arbitration and is usually a catalyst for signings across the league. More information on the arbitration process can be found here.