The Steelers have made the NFL playoffs seven times since the Pirates’ last postseason appearance, in 2015. The Pirates have spent decades signaling to their fans that they aren’t supposed to stick around for October. Somehow, it’s the first multi-year free agent deal the Pirates have inked since they signed pitcher Ivan Nova in 2016. Yet in its penny-pinching, half measures, this franchise is again daring its great players to defy the odds instead of providing backup. With any luck, the fans will get a new era of Pirates baseball to thunderously support anyway.

Source: Washington Post February 06, 2026 04:40 UTC