The Pittsburgh Pirates have made a few shocking moves this offseason to bring in some talented hitters. But they might not be done yet.
The Pirates need to add a star at the hot corner after cutting ties with Ke’Bryan Hayes last year. There are a few options in free agency, but they might look to swing a trade for a valuable bat instead.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter put together a trade idea that would send top Pirates pitching prospect Thomas Harrington to the Texas Rangers in exchange for infielder Josh Jung.
“Josh Jung is another potential fit at the hot corner with buy-low upside,” Reuter wrote. “The 27-year-old is controllable through 2028, not far removed from starting the 2023 All-Star Game and coming off a 2025 campaign where he logged a 100 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 14 home runs and 61 RBI in 131 games.
“Jung had an up-and-down 2025 season in which he was briefly optioned to the minors in July, and he has looked like a potential trade candidate since the offseason started. Moving him would create a path for top prospect Sebastian Walcott, who could be ready to debut in 2026 after spending a full season at Double-A last year.”
Jung is the perfect solution at third base for the Pirates. A move like this would complete the ideal offseason in Pittsburgh after years of struggling to compete in the National League Central.
For the Rangers, it would add a very talented pitching prospect with ace potential. Harrington is going to struggle to make an impact in Pittsburgh, but he could have a much clearer path to starting with the Rangers.
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