Will the Pittsburgh Pirates go all-in at the upcoming July 30 trade deadline?
Pittsburgh currently holds a 44-47 record, which would typically not be strong enough to convince the front office to bolster their roster at the deadline and attempt to make a run for a postseason spot.
However, the National League Wild Card race is unusually lackluster thus far. It might not take much more than a .500 record to climb into the mix. With that in mind, the Pirates seemingly have their sights set on buying and reportedly have a target in mind.
“(I’m) being told the Pirates are in on Taylor Ward from the (Los Angeles) Angels,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Paul Zeise reported Tuesday.
Ward is hitting .238 with 30 extra-base hits including 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .737 OPS (105 OPS+) in 88 games this season. The career .252 hitter with a .757 OPS would bolster the Pirates offense, which currently ranks No. 20 in Major League Baseball with 382 runs through 91 games.
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The 30-year-old primarily plays left field, which is manned by cornerstone slugger Bryan Reynolds. Should the move happen, he’d likely slot into right field and be able to play center field and third base if needed.
Ward is under team control through 2026 so his acquisition would not be purely near-sighted. He’d cost the Pirates a decent haul of prospects but would be seen as a key piece for the next few seasons.
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