Pittsburgh Pirates: Change of Scenery Trade Deadline Targets

The Pittsburgh Pirates should consider these five change-of-scenery prospects when discussing trades this upcoming deadline.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to get some prospects back for some of their rental pieces. José Quintana and Ben Gamel are the likeliest players to get traded from the current roster. Although it will be very tough to say goodbye to Quintana, the Pirates have more than enough outfield depth between Travis Swaggerty, Ji-Hwan Bae, Bligh Madris, and Cal Mitchell to fill the shoes that Gamel will leave behind.

Regardless, the Pittsburgh Pirates will look to add further reinforcements to an already strong farm system. The team is building for the future and is much closer to being ready to contend than they were a year ago. The Pirates should be looking for guys who are, or are nearly ready to see some time in the majors. In any case, I think they should explore the possibility of getting a change-of-scenery prospect.

So what is a change-of-scenery prospect? To me, it’s a prospect whose stock has fallen for a few reasons. They could be underperforming expectations, they could be facing some injuries, or they could be blocked by other players for the last year or two. For one reason or another, they might not be considered a vital part of their current team’s long-term future.

Now, these guys aren’t going to be deal makers or deal breaker-type prospects. They’re guys that the Pirates should only get as deal sweeteners, or if they send cash or receive an underwater contract but nonetheless, I think the Pirates should at least entertain the idea.