Pittsburgh Pirates Rumor Mill – all eyes on Huntington

Yes, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of baseball, today is the day. It’s finally July 31st, the non-waiver trade deadline, and to say anything could happen would be putting it lightly. We’ve seen so many big names get moved, from David Price to Cole Hamels to Carlos Gomez. So far for the Pirates, the trading season has been a quiet but effective one. Aramis Ramirez filled a hole left by Josh Harrison at third base. Joe Blanton seems to be a slight improvement (hopefully) over Vance Worley and is a veteran with over 40 innings of postseason experience. And Joakim Soria makes the Pirates’ bullpen even more deadly and possibly one of the best in the game.

If you’re new to the Rumor Mill, you’re in luck. Every week during this segment we break down the latest trade rumors, transactions, signings, promotions, demotions, and roster moves, among other news and notes. This week, we’re going to tackle things a little differently. We’re focusing strictly on rumors and everything that you need to know for today’s trade deadline. First, let’s break down the remaining holes that the Pirates could address before 4 PM.

1st Base

While he’s added some power and run production this year, Pedro Alvarez has still managed to be a negative win player for the season. That’s due to his 81-to-29 strikeout to walk ratio and his horrid defense at first, as evidenced by his league-leading 15 errors at first base this season. The only thing is, no one wants Alvarez. And the only good first base options potentially available (Adam Lind and Mitch Moreland are two options) are lefties, so what do you do with Pedro if you get a lefty first baseman? There’s the thought that management won’t DFA him, so does he become a bench bat? Or do you pursue a right-handed first base bat like Mike Napoli who you can get for cheap and hope that he mashes lefties? It’s a difficult position to fill at this point in time, but I’m sure Huntington has asked around.

Next, let’s take a look at the current state of the Pirates starters.

Next: Pirates rotation: Top heavy or nah?