Pittsburgh Pirates Rumors: Teams Continue to Pursue Jacob Stallings
One of the hottest names on the trade market right now appears to be Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings
It is shaping up to be a wild next 36 hours or so around Major League Baseball. With the CBA set to expire on Wednesday and Tuesday being the deadline to non-tender arbitration eligible players, teams around baseball will be making a flurry of moves. Right now, trade rumors continue to swirl around the Pittsburgh Pirates and their catcher.
Over the weekend it was reported that the Pittsburgh Pirates could potentially listen to trade offers for Jacob Stallings. These rumors took on new legs early in the day on Monday when two teams were identified as potentially pursuing Stallings.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman the Miami Marlins and New York Yankees are two teams that would be good fits for Stallings.
Teams being interested in Stallings should come as no surprise. As evident by taking home the National League Gold Glove Award for catchers last season, Stallings is one of the best defensive catchers in the game. In fact, his +21 Defensive Runs Saved last season was tied with Houston shortstop Carlos Correa for the most in baseball, regardless of position.
Stallings is also renowned for his ability to call a game and handle a pitching staff. The 31-year-old Stallings controls the opposing running game well, and is a plus pitch framer behind the dish as well. Stallings may also be the best catcher in baseball when it comes to blocking pitches in the dirt.
Adding to his value is that Stallings remains under team control for the next three seasons. These three seasons will also come at an affordable price as he is projected to earn $2.6 million in arbitration for the 2022 season. While that number will continue to go up, at no point will Stallings become an overly expensive player.
If the Pirates are to move Stallings it will likely require a large haul. While the Pirates are not in a position to compete in 2022, Stallings is a clubhouse leader and could prove to be invaluable in working with a young pitching staff. Having Stallings around to help bring pitchers such as Bryse Wilson, Carmen Mlodzinski, Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, etc. along in their development would still be extremely valuable for the Pirates.