The Pittsburgh Pirates have been quite busy Wednesday afternoon. With the trade deadline less than 24 hours away, the Pirates seem to be embracing their status as sellers. Shortly after announcing that they dealt Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds, reports emerged indicating that Caleb Ferguson will be following him out the door.
While Pittsburgh is struggling to the tune of a 46-62 record heading into action on Wednesday, they have several pieces on their roster who were considered desirable trade targets across the league. One of those guys was the veteran left-handed relief pitcher Ferguson, who is currently enjoying one of the best seasons of his career.
After spending time with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros to begin his career, Ferguson signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Pirates. Now, he appears to be getting sent to Seattle, with Pittsburgh acquiring pitching prospect Jeter Martinez in exchange for Ferguson.
Ferguson has appeared in 45 games this season, posting a 2-2 record with a 3.74 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 43 1/3 innings. He will join a Mariners team that is firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot in the American League, and their front office has been aggressive ahead of the deadline, as they previously traded for Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Coming to Pittsburgh is Martinez, who was ranked the No. 13 prospect in Seattle’s farm system. Just 19 years old, Martinez has spent the season at Class-A, although he has struggled, posting a 6.18 ERA in 16 starts. His upside is hard to ignore, though, and the Pirates will work on trying to develop him into an MLB-caliber pitcher.
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With another deal reportedly in the books, Pittsburgh has made its trade deadline strategy clear. With that in mind, they are a team to watch before the deadline strikes on Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.
More MLB: Pirates Reportedly Trade Ke’Bryan Hayes To Reds In Shock Move
Featured image via Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images