Pirates
The Pirates are easily the most exciting team to follow right now in Pittsburgh sports. Fans are on the back half of watching the MLB offseason, and the Pirates have made some noise. It began with a small trade with the Boston Red Sox.
The Pirates acquired right fielder Jhostynxon Garcia, who is the MLB’s 85th-ranked prospect and other prospects for starting pitcher Johan Oviedo. This was just the beginning as Ben Cherington pulled the trigger on an MLB veteran with above-average power. In a three-team trade with the Rays and Astros, the Pirates acquired lefty second baseman Brandon Lowe and switch-hitting center fielder Jake Mangum and relief pitcher Mason Montgomery for starting pitcher Mike Burrows. Burrows would not fit in a monster rotation for the Pirates in 2026, so flipping him for three MLB-ready players is phenomenal.
Lowe averages 20 home runs a season and hit 31 in 134 games last season. His bat isn’t the only one being added, as the Pirates recently signed Ryan O’Hearn. O’Hearn is a versatile lefty power bat that can play first or the corner outfield positions. An All-Star last year, O’Hearn hit 17 home runs and 21 doubles. This sets the franchise record for the largest contract given out to a hitter in free-agency. It seems as if the Pirates are looking into some free agents for the left side of the infield.
Penguins
The Penguins are currently battling for a wild-card spot in a competitive Eastern Conference. Evgeni Malkin returned from injury a few days ago and will look to boost the Penguins back into playoff contention.
The break started hot with a goalie trade between the Penguins and the Edmonton Oilers. The Penguins acquired goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick in 2029. They gave up goaltender Tristan Jarry and winger Samuel Poulin, who struggled to stay on the Pens’ NHL roster.
So far, Jarry has looked shaky in the net for the Oilers and had a stint on the injury list as well. Early signs are showing the Penguins winning this trade. Kyle Dubas also made a deal with Columbus, acquiring winger Danton Heinen, a 2026 second and a 2027 third-round draft choice for winger Egor Chinakhov.
The Penguins needed some scoring help, and Chinakhov brought that. In seven games so far, he has two goals and an assist. In 29 games with the Blue Jackets this season, Chinakhov only had six points. If they want to make a run at the playoffs, the Penguins must acquire another winger to propel captain Sidney Crosby and this core into the playoffs for one more run at Lord Stanley.
Steelers
On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost in the Wild Card round against the Houston Texans, 30-6. After suffering his seventh straight playoff loss, head coach Mike Tomlin made the shocking decision to step away from football, walking away after 19 years.
The future is quite unknown. This is something Steelers fans aren’t too familiar with, but there are a lot of great coaching candidates out there. General manager Omar Khan and owner Art Rooney II will lead the charge in the coaching search.
The Steelers have already requested interviews with multiple defensive coordinators and an assistant coach. The list includes Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase.
Based on their list so far, it seems the Steelers are looking into continuing tradition and hiring a defensive coach. Either way, a coaching change completely shakes things up for the Steelers’ future.
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