Pittsburgh

Pirates

Okamoto’s posting deadline is on January 4th, which will give him the remainder of the week to decide on a team. Previous reports seemed to indicate that he was all but down to the Angels and the Pirates, but Yahoo is reporting that Okamoto has meetings set up with the Blue Jays, Cubs, Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres, Angels, and Pirates, so his market may be a bit more robust than previously believed.

Romero notes that the Angels, Pirates, White Sox and Blue Jays have all inquired on the veteran infielder. The former top prospect spent the 2025 season with the Halos where he slashed .234/.336/.448 with 12 long balls, 35 RBI and a 75/32 K/BB ratio across 289 plate appearances in his 84 games. Wherever he ultimately signs, it’s likely to be in a reserve role and Moncada won’t have much value from a fantasy perspective.

The deal includes $500K in performance bonuses in each season. It’s another solid move for the Pirates, who also acquired Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum just last week. The 32-year-old O’Hearn rejuvenated his career in Baltimore over the last three years and hit .281/.366/.427 in 144 games for the Orioles and Padres last year while clubbing 17 home runs. He does struggle against lefties, so the Pirates will likely need to platoon him with somebody like Jhostynxon Garcia or Nick Yorke, but O’Hearn should be the regular starter against right-handed pitching and hit in the middle of what is becoming a deeper lineup in Pittsburgh.

Like Munetaka Murakami, Okamoto seems to be viewed primarily as a first baseman by major league teams. The Pirates, though, figure to use Spencer Horwitz there against righties. Perhaps they’d be willing to give him a look at third and then utilize him as a first baseman against lefties and a DH if it doesn’t work out. At this point, it’s entirely unclear whether Okamoto will do better than the two-year, $34 million deal that Murakami got. He’s viewed as the safer signing of the two, but he probably doesn’t offer as much upside. Okamoto has until Jan. 4 to sign with an MLB team.

Fletcher first appeared on fantasy radars in 2023 with an intriguing debut with the Diamondbacks. He spent the last two years with the White Sox and failed to produce at the MLB level, but did hit .260/.317/.453 with 17 home runs and seven steals in 105 games at Triple-A. Perhaps the 28-year-old can emerge as a fourth outfielder in Pittsburgh.

Cheng is removed from the 40-man roster after the Pirates traded for Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum on Friday evening. Cheng will now be on waivers, and if he goes unclaimed, it seems likely he’ll report back to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Luciano’s time in the Pittsburgh organization is very likely to be short, as the 24-year-old was just claimed off waivers at the beginning of December. The former top prospect could sneak through unclaimed this time, but it seems likely someone will take that chance.

Montgomery was able to strike out 63 hitters in 46 innings of relief for Tampa Bay, which is pretty good. He also walked 27 and had a 5.67 ERA in that timeframe, which is not. He’ll compete for a bullpen spot with Pittsburgh this spring more than likely, but it’s worth noting that he does have starting experience in the minors.

Mangum was solid in 2025 for Tampa Bay in his first chance to be a regular, and he hit .296/.330/.368 with 27 stolen bases in his 118 games. The former Mississippi State star offers very little power, and his fantasy value is limited because of it. Still, he could be a helper in the average and steals category in 2026.

The Astros acquired Mike Burrows from the Pirates in the deal while sending Anderson Brito and Jacob Melton to the Rays. Lowe has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time, but he finally has a new home after hitting 31 homers with a .256/.307/.477 slash in 2025. He’ll hit in the middle of a Pittsburgh order that is not without talent, and he should be a solid — if unspectacular — fantasy option in 2026.