The Pittsburgh Pirates have picked up right where they left off heading into the break. They’ve won seven of their last eight and are now sitting at 51-49, leaving them only half a game out of the final National League Wild Card spot.
With only a week to go before the July 30th Major League Baseball trade deadline, now is the time for the Pirates to make upgrades to their roster for a playoff push.
Pittsburgh’s pitching has been great, with All-Star Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller leading the way, but their offense could use some improvements. According to Tim Britton and Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, one interesting player that the Pirates have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for is Toronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen.
“Upgrading behind the plate can be nearly impossible at the deadline, and Danny Jansen figures to be the clear-cut best catcher available,” Britton and Gleeman said. “His weak arm could scare off some teams, but he’s a solid pitch framer and has posted an average-or-better OPS in four straight seasons. Compared to the household-name big bats, he’s not exciting, but compared to the bleak catcher market he could be a relatively hot commodity. And the Blue Jays will want to get what they can for the impending free agent.”
Jansen has slashed .216/.316/.391 with six home runs and 17 RBIs across 59 games played this season. The longtime Blue Jay would be a welcome addition to Pittsburgh and surely could help them down the stretch as they fight for the playoffs.
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