Pirates named as ‘mystery’ team for Cody Bellinger pursuit

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been firing on all cylinders this offseason in order to strengthen what was a last place offense in 2025. The acquisition of Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum and the signing of Ryan O’Hearn already puts them in a much better spot ahead of the 2026 season. Many believe that the Pirates are still searching for pieces though, and the most recent free-agent to be attached to the club is outfielder Cody Bellinger.

Former GM Jim Bowden spoke on the Foul Territory Podcast and revealed that the Pirates have shown interest in the veteran outfielder.

“There could be a mystery team on Bellinger, but he might not want to go there,” Bowden said. “I’ve heard whispers about the Pittsburgh Pirates.”

Bowden went on to say that it would appear that a return to the New York Yankees would be Bellinger’s first choice in free-agency. The Yankees have reportedly made a second offer to Bellinger over the weekend, with MLB Network Insider also reporting that the Mets, Cubs, Dodgers and Giants are all still showing interest as well.

If the Pirates were to sign Bellinger, the club would immediately become a playoff threat. Just the idea that the Pirates could even pull off this signing is crazy to think about. The organization has certainly showed a renewed earnest in trying to build a winning team, and even their misses have been big news. Notably, the club reportedly offered Kyle Schwarber a four-year deal at $125 million, before he ultimately returned to Philadelphia.

Most outlets are projecting that Bellinger is eyeing a six to seven year deal worth between $165 million and $183 million. Bellinger is absolutely worth this kind of money, as it will likely be the last major contract of his career as the 31-year-old outfielder prepares for his 10th MLB season. The issue of course lies in the fact that the Pirates do not just hand out this kind of money. In fact, the Pirates have never signed a player for this much money.

The largest contract a player has ever signed with Pittsburgh was when Bryan Reynolds received an eight-year $106.75 million extension in April of 2023. The largest contract ever given to sign with the Pirates was given to pitcher Francisco Liriano in the 2014 offseason when he signed for three-years $39 million. Needless to say, a contract to Bellinger would blow these previous highs out of the water.

For a small market team like the Pirates, this is an astronomical amount of money, but it would absolutely be worth it. Belinger has been one of the best hitters in baseball since making his debut in 2017 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s a former MVP, All-Star, Gold Glover, Silver Slugger, Comeback Player of the Year and World Series Champion.

At PNC Park, the slugging left-handed-hitter would feel right at home. In 2025 with the Yankees, Bellinger finished the season with 29 homers, 98 RBIs and played in 152 games at all three outfield positions. He had a slash line of .272/.334/.480 with an OPS of .814 and 160 hits.

Of course Pittsburgh is not generally a hotbed for budding free-agents, but this offseason has at least shown that the team is willing to make offers on big-time players. With the moves that they’ve already made, the Pirates could be seen my players on the market as an up and coming team with exciting pieces. They’re projected to have one of the best rotations in baseball led by pitching phenom Paul Skenes, and have made good moves to improve their lineup this winter.

Pittsburgh landing Bellinger may be a long shot, but it is hard to ignore the fact that it could be a great match as the veteran slugger searches for a deal while the Pirates are looking for one more piece to put them over the top.

Source: Sports Yahoo