Pirates sign the Padres’ trade deadline slugger who mashed down the stretch

The Padres didn’t need Ryan O’Hearn for long. But for a couple months, they needed him badly.

San Diego’s 2025 deadline shopping spree didn’t come with the kind of flashy, “break the internet” headliner fans love to argue about on the trolley ride down to Petco. It came with something more practical: a plug-and-play bat who could keep the lineup from flatlining whenever the opposing starter had a pulse. And for a team trying to grind out wins down the stretch, O’Hearn gave them exactly that kind of grown-up at-bat.

Now the rental is over, and the price tag is official.

Pirates just paid for the deadline bat the Padres couldn’t keep

O’Hearn is headed to Pittsburgh on a two-year, $29 million deal that includes $500K in performance bonuses in each season, per reports from Ken Rosenthal and Robert Murray on (Dec. 23, 2025). 

From a Padres lens, this is the annoying part of doing good deadline business: when a guy actually performs, he stops being a “nice, cheap fit” and becomes a real-market free agent. The Pirates didn’t just buy O’Hearn’s 2025 stat line — they bought the version of him that finally looked playable every day, not just in the safe pockets of a platoon.

That's exactly what made him work in San Diego. The Padres got O'Hearn (and Ramon Laureano) at the July 31 trade deadline from the Orioles. They acquired him to add some depth into their lineup down the stretch in September/October. He quickly became a consistent player with professional plate approaches, and had enough pop to punish mistakes. In 50 games with the Padres and batted .276/.350/.387 with 4 home runs, and 20 RBIs — just the kind of "keep the line moving" type of offense that would’ve been crucial if the Padres made a deep run in  October.

His overall season statistics also show why he was able to cash in. O'Hearn ended the 2025 season batting .281 with 17 home runs, 63 RBIs, and an .803 OPS. Obviously not MVP numbers, but that is definitely the profile of a hitter who can help raise the level of your team's offense. Those kind of hitters do not remain affordable for very long.

So where does that leave the Padres?

Honestly, the writing’s been on the wall for a bit. San Diego’s recent signing of KBO infielder Sung-Mun Song (four years, $15 million with options baked in) added another versatile piece who can touch multiple spots, including first base if the roster chess demands it.  Between that move, the usual infield shuffling, and the front office’s constant hunt for value, a reunion with O’Hearn always felt like a “sure, if he’s still there later” kind of dream — not a plan.

The frustrating part is that Padres fans actually got a taste of how clean the fit could look. O’Hearn wasn’t a savior. He was something better: a solution. And now Pittsburgh gets to enjoy the next chapter of a player the Padres helped showcase on a bigger stage — while San Diego goes right back to doing what it always does in winter: hunting the next underrated answer before anyone else notices.