Overview
- The Pirates finalized one-year contracts with Oneil Cruz, Dennis Santana, Joey Bart and Justin Lawrence before Thursday’s deadline, eliminating the need for hearings.
- Reported salaries are $3.3 million for Cruz, $3.5 million for Santana, $2.53 million for Bart and $1.225 million for Lawrence, per reports from Robert Murray and MLB.com.
- Cruz enters the first of his arbitration years after a 2025 season with 20 home runs, 38 steals and a .200/.298/.378 line that makes 2026 a pivotal campaign.
- Santana posted a 2.18 ERA with 16 saves after taking over closing duties following the David Bednar trade and is under team control through 2026 before free agency.
- Lawrence was limited by injury but yielded one run over 17 2/3 innings with 23 strikeouts, while Bart offset a four-homer power dip with a .355 on-base percentage and remains under control through 2027.