5 impressive young players the Pirates should target in a Caleb Ferguson trade

Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson should be one of the most sought-after relief pitchers available at the trade deadline (in what's definitely shaping up to be a strong sellers' market). The Bucs signed Ferguson to a one-year contract last offseason, and he's been tremendous. Ferguson has pitched to the tune of a 2.79 ERA, 3.01 FIP, and 1.06 WHIP across his first 38.1 innings of work. While he has an unimpressive 19.2% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate, Ferguson has yet to allow a home run.

Ferguson's ability to prevent the home run isn't just flyball luck, either. He's been one of, if not the best, pitchers at limiting hard contact this season. Among all pitchers this year with at least 30 frames under their belt, Ferguson's 83.2 MPH exit velocity is the best. The next closest is Ranger Suarez at 84.3 MPH, over one whole MPH harder than Ferguson. His 25.2% hard hit rate is also the game's best, and he is in the 98th percentile of barrel rate, ranking ninth at 2.8%.

Although Ferguson is only a rental reliever, rentals have gone for a high price in the past. Hurlers like Carlos Estevez, Jordan Hicks, David Robertson, and Reynaldo Lopez have netted their former teams a decent prospect, despite their expiring contracts. The Pirates should target some above-average prospects in a Caleb Ferguson deal, like these five names.

5 top prospects Pirates should target in a Caleb Ferguson trade deadline deal

Drew Gilbert

The New York Mets are rumored to be shopping for a bullpen arm. They need a left-handed reliever badly, as both of their lefties from their Opening Day roster, Danny Young and A.J. Minter, both suffered season-ending injuries. The Pirates need an outfielder and should target one of the Mets' top prospects, Drew Gilbert.

Gilbert struggled with injuries for most of 2024, and his numbers in his rebound season season aren't outstanding. He is hitting .232/.364/.402 with a .342 wOBA, and 98 wRC+. He has hit for some power, with nine home runs and a .171 isolated slugging percentage, and hasn't struck out much, with a 16.2% K% to go along with a walk rate of 12.1%. Beyond his surface stats, Gilbert has some solid numbers under the hood.

Gilbert hits the ball hard with an 89.2 MPH exit velocity. His 7.9% barrel rate is also better than that of your average Triple-A batter. Another positive is Gilbert's 18.8% whiff rate. That is currently the 14th-lowest among all Triple-A hitters this season with at least 250 plate appearances. Gilbert has also done well recently, slashing .254/.350/.500 with a .375 wOBA, and 119 wRC+ since the start of June. 

Gilbert is a solid defensive outfielder and has an above-average arm that can play at all three outfield positions. He is also fast enough to play center field. Given that he is already 24 and at Triple-A, he's a potential immediate solution for the Pirates in the outfield. They could give him a shot to prove himself right after acquiring him.