Pirates Reportedly ‘Seek Bats;’ Loosely Linked To White Sox Veteran As Option

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been one of the most exciting teams in baseball over the last month or so.

Pittsburgh is loaded with young talent and is right in the middle of a playoff race with the second half of the season set to kick off later this week. The Pirates currently have a 48-48 record and are just 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets for the final National League Wild Card spot.

Pirates fans should be excited about the team right now and things could get even better soon with the 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline now under two weeks away.

Pittsburgh has been in trade rumors lately and has been linked to a handful of players to help add a little boost to the offense. One player who was mentioned as a hypothetical fit was Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

“Considering the White Sox’s current timeline, word is reliever-turned-starter Garrett Crochet and outfield star Luis Robert (the Seattle Mariners make sense for him, too) have a decent chance to be dealt,” Heyman said. “They seem even likelier to trade Erick Fedde and should certainly should find takers for Tommy Pham, Paul DeJong and Michael Kopech. 

“The (Philadelphia Phillies) and (Kansas City Royals) are thought to have some interest in Pham as they search for an outfielder while the Mariners and Pirates also seek bats.”

While this isn’t a guarantee by any means that Pham will end up in Pittsburgh, he could be a great trade target. Pham is an 11-year big league veteran who could add more offensive depth to the outfield while almost being an important voice in the clubhouse. So far this season he has clubbed four home runs, driven in 16 runs, and slashed .264/.339/.368 in 60 games played for Chicago.

Pittsburgh doesn’t necessarily need to go out and make a major splash and certainly shouldn’t break up its young core for a rental. Pham could be a guy that doesn’t cost much and still could help out down the stretch and possibly push the Pirates toward the postseason.

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