With less than a week to go until the MLB Trade Deadline, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in need of a major shakeup. After a wildly inconsistent summer, they enter this weekend’s home series against the Arizona Diamondbacks last in the NL Central at 42-61.
While the Pirates’ pitching has been good this year, their lineup hasn’t. They rank last in MLB in several hitting categories, including runs per game (3.40), slugging percentage (.342) and OPS (.643).
Accordingly, Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington should be looking to swap pitching for offense, potentially with one of his former employers.
The Boston Red Sox, where Cherington worked from 1999 to 2015, have a glut of young outfielders and position players. They’re also in the market for pitching, making them an ideal trading partner for the Pirates.
On Friday, MLB insider Mark Feinsand proposed a blockbuster trade on MLB Network that could make sense for both sides, suggesting Pittsburgh send one of its starting pitchers to the Red Sox for All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran.
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“The Pirates desperately need offense. We’ve seen what Duran can do with what he did in 2024,” Feinsand said. “Hasn’t been as good this year, but he’s still been a productive player…I think he would walk in and probably be the best or second-best player on the Pirates offensively.”
An All-Star last season, Duran has taken a step back this year. He’s still an above-average hitter and outfielder, however, batting .254/.321/.428 (107 OPS+) with 44 extra-base hits, 16 steals and 2.6 WAR in 102 games this season.
For reference, his 2.6 WAR and .748 OPS would both lead Pittsburgh’s position players, making him a considerable upgrade.
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However, Boston recently rejected a trade that would have sent Duran to the San Diego Padres for Dylan Cease and two prospects, so it would seemingly take a lot to acquire him. The asking price may be too high for a controversial 28-year-old outfielder with only one elite season on his resume.
Either way, it’s something the Pirates should explore. An outfield of Duran, Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz would be one of the best in baseball, with Duran providing power and speed at the top of the lineup.
Given that Cherington already knows Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow from their time in Boston together, perhaps they can work something out.
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Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images