Pirates Can Change NL Central by Trading for Non-Yordan Alvarez Astros Slugger
· Yahoo Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates got back on track in a nice comeback win against the Athletics on Tuesday night, keeping them in the mix ahead of the Major League Baseball trade deadline.
With the trade deadline at the beginning of August, the Pirates definitely have a lot they need to consider. This is a team that seemingly has a chance to compete at a very high level, but the questions about what the front office will do are more than fair.
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The Pirates can't exactly be trusted, considering some of the moves we've seen them make over the past decade-plus. This has never really been an organization that wants to spend money, and making trades at the deadline often requires teams to take on a good bit of salary, which is exactly what would happen if the Pirates added a player they were recently linked to in a potential trade.
One Bleacher Report writer believes the Pirates could be interested in Isaac Paredes, the Houston Astros third baseman.
"Whereas Isaac Paredes is merely a safe option for most teams, he would represent a monumental upgrade for the Reds at third base," Zachary D. Rymer wrote. "The two things he does well are put the ball in play and pull fly balls in the air, both of which would play just fine at Great American Ball Park.
"Better yet, he wouldn't be a one-year rental. If the Reds can't salvage this season, they can try again with Paredes next season. Other landing spots: Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates."
Paredes doesn't hit free agency until 2028, and he's arbitration-eligible once again this offseason.
He’s playing on a one-year, $9.35 million contract, so there really isn't much the Pirates have to worry about in that regard.
He's struggled a bit in terms of his typical production, posting a 110 OPS+, which would be the worst he's had in a full season since 2021.
On the flip side, he's still showing some above-average power, blasting 10 home runs in 68 games. If the Pirates can get the production that they know they can out of him over the next few months, he'd be a legitimate threat to an offense that can use some help.