At some point this winter, it became OK — even fun — to say this out loud: the Pittsburgh Pirates are having a really good offseason.
Gregory Soto? Power lefty with swing-and-miss stuff.
Jhostynxon García? A legit upside play with tools.
Brandon Lowe? The middle-of-the-order bat this lineup has been begging for.
Jake Mangum? Floor, defense, energy.
Mason Montgomery? Another live arm for a pitching factory.
Ryan O’Hearn? A professional hitter who lengthens the lineup immediately.
And yet, as good as this has been, there’s still one move sitting there — obvious, necessary, and capable of pushing this winter from “finally competent” to “wow, they’re really serious.