All it took for those pesky, persistent rumors involving a Paul Skenes trade was for the Pittsburgh Pirates to start winning.
Rather than speculate about the Yankees or Dodgers landing Skenes ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, we’re instead wondering where — and how — the Pirates themselves will upgrade. Pittsburgh entered play on June 10 above .500 and only a half-game out of the National League’s third and final Wild Card spot.
However, the Pirates still have their share of holes, as you would expect from a team still transitioning from rebuild into a playoff hopeful. The rotation could use a boost, and adding a catcher wouldn’t hurt, either. We’re not sure how much longer the Pirates can justify keeping Henry Davis and his .526 OPS in the everyday lineup.
Outfield might not seem like a need for the Pirates, but that shouldn’t stop Pittsburgh from pursuing the Red Sox’s Jarren Duran.
A Jarren Duran trade makes perfect sense for the Pirates
Luckily for the Pirates, the outfield trio of Bryan Reynolds, Oneil Cruz, and Ryan O’Hearn all have an OPS exceeding .820. Reynolds and Cruz have combined for 1.9 bWAR, and the latter already has 21 stolen bases.
Outside of catcher, the Pirates’ most significant offensive issue is at designated hitter. Marcell Ozuna has a .579 OPS in over 200 plate appearances, and his -0.8 bWAR ranks among the sport’s worst. Even calling him a disappointment feels overly generous.
Acquiring Duran and putting him in left field could theoretically allow the Pirates to move Reynolds to right field. O’Hearn would then replace Ozuna at designated hitter, though the latter would likely remain on the roster given his $12 million salary and 2027 mutual option.
Duran has his own issues, entering Wednesday hitting just .209 with a .655 OPS in nearly 270 plate appearances. He’s on pace for career lows in most offensive stats, and his extra-base hits have dropped from 70 a year ago to 21 thus far.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported earlier this month that there is a “steep” difference between how the Red Sox and other teams value Duran.
With that said, Duran is under team control through 2029, and he’s in dire need of a reset. Duran has been the subject of trade rumors for well over a year, partly because of the Red Sox’s many outfield prospects.
At 27-38, a Red Sox fire sale feels inevitable. Boston already parted ways with manager Alex Cora, and Duran is among the expendable veterans. Add in the factor that lead baseball executive Craig Breslow isn’t the one who drafted Duran, and it’s not difficult to understand just why the 29-year-old outfielder will continue hearing his name linked to other teams.
Duran has not publicly requested a trade, and the Red Sox have not indicated they intend to overhaul the roster within the coming weeks.
As is typically the case, Pirates fans should prepare themselves for a potentially busy deadline. But at least the shoe is on the other foot, and the Pirates are poised to be buyers.
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