After striking out in the Kyle Schwarber sweepstakes, the Pittsburgh Pirates have turned their attention to another former member of the Philadelphia Phillies as they look to shake up their roster ahead of the 2026 season.
Just hours after the Phillies officially signed Kyle Schwarber to a massive five-year, $150 million deal, the Pirates made a signing of their own. They brought in left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto on a one-year, $7.75 million contract.
Pirates settle for former Phillies reliever Gregory Soto instead of Kyle Schwarber
The Pirates were reported to have significant interest in Schwarber, offering him a contract over $100 million, which would’ve been the largest contract to an external free agent in team history. Instead, they land a much-needed left-hander in Soto who will likely play a key role in the back end of the bullpen alongside Dennis Santana and Braxton Ashcraft.
Soto, 30, was previously a member of the Phillies for parts of two seasons from 2023 through 2024, where he saw significant playing time as a middle reliever. In 112 games in Philadelphia, Soto pitched to a 5-8 record to go along with a 4.42 ERA in 95 2/3 innings.
His tenure in Philadelphia did not go as planned for either side as he was not used in the closer role and his effectiveness out of the bullpen paled in comparison to his performance with the Detroit Tigers.
His time with the Phillies came to an end at the trade deadline in 2024 when he was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles. He has since spent time with the New York Mets before now heading to his newest destination in Pittsburgh.
Overall in his career, Soto has a 15-34 record with a 4.26 ERA in 391 games. His best season came in 2022 when he pitched to a 3.28 ERA and 30 saves in 64 games for the Detroit Tigers. He will provide Pittsburgh with flexibility as a closer and a middle reliever and has extensive experience in both roles.
While this is certainly not the flashy move that Pirates fans expected, it appears that they are not done. They have expressed a willingness to (finally) spend money to build a more competitive team around star pitcher Paul Skenes.
Their payroll is expected to increase from 2025, when they spent just over $84 million, which ranked 27th in all of baseball. To put things into comparison, the Phillies spent $292 million in 2025, which put them in the top five in the league.
In the end, the Pirates struck out on Schwarber, but they did find a consolation prize in former Phillies pitcher Soto.