Pirates Pitching Prospect Named Team’s Most Likely Trade Candidate

The Pittsburgh Pirates desperately need a boost to their offense as they look ahead to next season.

Pittsburgh took a step in the right direction this season despite ending with the same record as last year. Their starting rotation looks great with superstar Paul Skenes as a headliner, but the offense needs improvement after ranking toward the bottom of the league in most batting statistics. Pittsburgh will likely need to make a trade to improve the offense in the offseason.

Pirates right-handed pitching prospect Braxton Ashcraft was listed as the team’s most likely trade candidate, according to Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer.

“The Pirates should be ready to make a play for contention after a 76-86 season, and there isn’t any question that they need bats to make it happen,” Rymer said. “You can rule the Bucs out of making an impact in free agency, though, which means it’s trade market or bust if they want to add a hitter (or hitters) with any kind of heft. To this end, their best hope involves leveraging their surplus of young arms.”

“The injury-prone, yet talented Braxton Ashcraft is in that sweet spot of not being Paul Skenes, Jared Jones or Bubba Chandler, but still placing within MLB.com’s top 100. He’s thus an ideal centerpiece for the kind of trade the Bucs should be looking to make.”

Ashcraft had a 3-2 record with a 2.84 ERA across 16 appearances in the minor leagues this season and is Pittsburgh’s No. 4 prospect overall and No. 85 in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline. The Pirates have an abundance of quality arms in their farm system, so using one or two of those players to land an impactful hitter for the lineup.

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