Jeff Passan's latest Pirates trade update brings back a familiar target

What's old becomes new again. One of the common rumored Pittsburgh Pirates trade targets over the offseason was Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes. In fact, the rumors connecting the Pirates to the two-time All-Star persisted into spring training.

As Pittsburgh looks to stock up for the stretch run, we find them named as potential suitors for many of Jeff Passan's top 100 trade candidates. One such player who Passan thinks the Pirates should pursue is Paredes, who was not listed as a potential target in the original version of the super insider's list.

The news regarding Konnor Griffin's ring finger injury and lengthy timetable for recovery might shoot the need to add an infielder up Ben Cherington's shopping list, but one has to wonder if the fit for Paredes is as strong as it once was.

Over the offseason, third base seemed to be the biggest hole on the team. With Griffin claiming shortstop, it appeared as if Pittsburgh was going to go defense first at the hot corner with Jared Triolo if a move wasn't made. However, Nick Gonzales' contact-heavy approach has played really well at third.

The question then is, would Paredes even be an upgrade over Gonzales? Gonzales enters the All-Star break with a .308/.370/.391 line that's good for a 112 wRC+. Meanwhile, Paredes owns a .254/.348/.419 mark and a 118 wRC+. The approaches are different, but the production is more or less the same.

However, there might be a new addition to the Pirates' shopping list from Passan that makes even more sense in the form of Washington Nationals' left-handed starter Foster Griffin.

Foster Griffin, not Issac Paredes, should be a prime Pirates trade target from Jeff Passan's list

If Paredes and Gonzales could coexist, making a move for the Astros star would be a slam dunk, just as it appeared to be over the offseason. The problem is, Gonzales can't really handle more than a cameo at shortstop, meaning either way, we're getting a heavy dose of Triolo with Griffin on the shelf.

On top of that, the whole reason the Astros may have considered dealing Paredes has evaporated. Over the winter, they had five infielders for four spots with Paredes, Jeremy Peña, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, and Christian Walker all vying for playing time; however, Correa's season-ending ankle injury on May 5 solved that problem.

Despite their dismal start, Houston has found itself in the thick of the playoff race and has an owner with a never-say-die attitude, meaning that unless the Pirates come in early with an aggressive offer for Paredes, it's unlikely he'll be dealt.

With that said, the new addition to Pittsburgh's potential targets that Cherington should be hot for is Foster Griffin. Adding another starter is an underrated need for the Pirates, with Paul Skenes stuck in a rut, Mitch Keller imploding, and questions as to how many innings Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler can log.

Griffin has come out of nowhere to become an intriguing arm after a three-year stint in Japan's NPB. He's logged 110 1/3 innings over 19 starts, posting a 2.77 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning and a superb 5.8% walk rate.

For the Pirates, there's an added benefit. The rotation is entirely right-handed, so adding a quality southpaw like Griffin could give them a nice change of pace that complements the existing infrastructure.

Isaac Paredes might be the long-rumored target, but Griffin is the one who makes the most sense based on where we stand roughly three weeks away from the August 3 deadline.

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