Options At First Base For The Pirates At The MLB Trade Deadline
The two realistic positions that the Pirates could upgrade at this trade deadline are in the outfield and at first base. Rowdy Tellez has certainly stepped it up in June compared to months prior, but if the Pirates could go out and get a big bat at first base, it would be a huge acquisition. The Pirates have a crop of prospects to offer in any direction should they choose to, but we know how that one usually goes down.
1. Pete Alonso
With the Mets in an odd position in the season, theres a chance that they are sellers at the deadline, but who knows? If they are, Pete Alonso could be one of the guys they look to offload. That’s where the Pirates swoop in if they’re willing. The two-time All-Star is 29 years old and could benefit from a fresh start.
Last season the Mets slugger hit 46 home runs to go with 118 RBIs but hit for just a .217 average. In 2022 he led the National League in RBIs with 131, Alonso also saw his career-best batting average that season at .271. Through 78 games this season, he’s managed to hit 16 home runs and a batting average of .241 to go with his 43 RBIs. If the Pirates have a chance to get a guy who has hit 40+ home runs in each of the past two seasons, they should jump on it.
2. Vlad Guerrero Jr
Vlad Guerrero Jr’s name always seems to be in trade rumors, and for the Pirates, he’d be on the same level as Alonso of a dream get. He’s still just 25, and a change of scenery seems needed for both parties in Toronto. The Pirates should be beating down the door for the guy who finished second in American League MVP voting in 2021.
2021 was Guerrero’s best year by far. It saw him lead the American League in runs, home runs, OPS, and total bases. The son of Vlad The Impaler hit a batting average of .311 that season, winning a Silver Slugger and somehow coming in second in the AL MVP vote to Shohei Ohtani. This season, through 80 games he has 11 home runs and a .289 batting average with 42 RBIs. Go get him, Pirates.
3. Josh Bell
Well, well, well, if it isn’t Josh Bell. The Marlins should be sellers at the deadline, and if they are they should do us a solid and send Mr. Bell and Jazz Chisholm up to the Pirates. Bell spent five solid seasons in Pittsburgh, hitting 86 home runs and driving in 309 runs in his 552 games as a Bucco. We’re all familiar with his game in Pittsburgh. Since leaving the Pirates, he’s spent time with the Nationals, Padres, Guardians, and now the Marlins.
Last season saw Bell split time between the Guardians and the Marlins in a season where he hit 22 home runs and drove in 74 runs. In his best season as a Pirate in 2019, he hit 37 home runs and pushed across 116 runs, good for sixth in the NL. While it might not be the sexy pick, seeing Bell return to the Pirates like Andrew McCutchen did last season would be fun.
4. Gavin Sheets
The White Sox should be the biggest sellers at this year’s deadline and if they would like to send outfielder Luis Robert Jr and first baseman Gavin Sheets over to the Pirates, nobody in Pittsburgh would complain, except maybe Bob Nutting.
Sheets would fit in perfectly with the Pirates’ newest sponsor. He’s yet to hit over 15 homers in a season in his four-year MLB career but is a career .240 hitter with potential waiting to be unlocked. While this wouldn’t be as good of an acquisition as the first three guys, it would still be a solid one.
5. Joey Gallo
While this is potentially the worst option of the five, Joey Gallo has been pretty mediocre since 2021, but if the Pirates can get him for cheap, then sure we can all hope for him to have a career turnaround in the Steel City. Gallo has only hit for a batting average in the .160 range the past three seasons., but hitting 21 homers last season and 19 in 2022.
Through 46 games this season, the two-time All-Star has yet to find his footing for the Nationals. He has five homers, seven doubles, 11 RBIs, and hits for a .164 batting average. It’s not the sexy pick, but feels like such a Pirates move.
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