The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to be aggressive this offseason. According to MLB insiders Jeff Passan and Kiley Mcdaniel there are a bunch of players that could be a potential fit for the Pirates via trades. There have been rumors and reports of players being linked to Pittsburgh but there has not been any official moves yet. They were not aggressive last year in the offseason, but the team is looking to make some splashes in the upcoming weeks.
The Bucs are looking to add some big names in the outfield. Cleveland Guardians star outfielder Steven Kwan is a big name being rumored by Jeff Passan. You’d be hard-pressed to find a much better defender than Kwan. The 28-year-old has been awarded an American League Gold Glove in each of his four big-league seasons with the Guardians. Since making his MLB debut in 2022, only one player has more defensive runs saved than Kwan’s 68 — former Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes 75.
I would love to see the Pirates be the most aggressive towards Kwan. He is a two-time All Star and is an elite contact hitter and one of the best defenders in the league. Kwan would have little trouble navigating PNC Park’s spacious left field. The star would slot in nicely next to Oneil Cruz, who has struggled defensively since sliding from shortstop to center field. If Steven Kwan becomes unlikely, there other outfielders Pittsburgh should look at.
We could see Boston move both Abreu and Duran due to young star player Roman Anthony making his arrival. They both would bring speed and solid bats that the Pirates could use. Duran would seemingly make the most sense as a trade chip for Boston given that he’s the oldest player among that current crop of outfielders.
St. Louis Cardinals utility player Brendan Donovan is a name that could be interesting for the Pirates target. The Guardians and the Seattle Mariners are two teams interested in Donovan right now. The Cardinals trading an All-Star player within their own division seems unlikely, but that has to be a call the Pirates make after a great season by Donovan.
First basemans Yandy Diaz and Wilson Contreras are players I would love to see the Pirates target to improve at that position. Diaz is coming off a solid season with the Tampa Bay Rays where he hit 25 Homeruns and 83 RBIs. While Contreras hit 20 home runs and 80 RBIs. Both players would bring a much needed pop to the offense. These aren’t players that Pittsburgh should break the bank for but they should definitely consider adding some of these veteran players in the offseason.
Other players that are rumored to be on the market are Alec Bohm, Jake Cronenworth, Brandon Lowe, and CJ Abrams. Bohm and Cronenworth are both players with plenty of postseason experience. The Pirates are a young team that lack that experience and power in their lineup.
Abrams would be a risky experiment but something that the Bucs should seriously consider. He might be a little inconsistent at times, but he is still young and filled with potential. He had 19 HRs last season with the Washington Nationals.
We will see how likely it is for the Pirates to make moves on any of these players. The Bucs need to spend money and match up positions of need. Catchers and strong hitting outfielders are two huge needs for the Bucs. Bucs GM Ben Cherington is still talking about wanting to be aggressive. Maybe there is a possibility that Cherington actually decides to make some moves on any of these players and be aggressive in the offseason.