Pirates have exactly what Orioles need to consider a blockbuster GM Meetings trade

The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves in a difficult spot right now. Brandon Lowe might leave in free agency (despite our incessant begging), Jared Triolo can't hit enough to be more than a utility player, and Nick Gonzales can't defend well enough to be trusted with an everyday job. That has the infield picture looking all kinds of muddled, leaving the Bucs wanting for more of a surefire answer at either second or third base.

While re-signing Lowe would help alleviate a lot of these concerns, we can't count on that now that he's able to negotiate with power-needy contenders who have much deeper pockets than the Pirates. Instead, it might take a trade to replace him, seeing as the rest of the free-agent market is rather weak.

So, why not turn our attention to a team stocked with young infield talent, and one who just happens to need exactly what the Pirates are known for?

Pirates cannot hesitate if Jackson Holliday becomes available via trade

One of the big stories in MLB right now is the potential fire sale coming from Baltimore; the Orioles, who haven't made the playoffs in the past two years despite possessing a top-prospect-heavy roster, are trying to reshuffle their deck right now. That means at least a few of their myriad infielders could be on the trading block, the prize among them 2022 No. 1 overall pick Jackson Holliday.

The one-time top prospect in baseball simply hasn't found his footing at the major-league level, posting an 86 wRC+ over three seasons with just 29 home runs and 29 steals in 307 career games. He appears to be a prime trade candidate this offseason, as the O's are still desperately searching for pitching help (and are only more desperate now that Trevor Rogers has reached the open market).

Clearly, there's a deal to be made here. The Pirates won't be dangling Paul Skenes in any conversations, but they do have the kind of young, controllable starters the Orioles are hungry for. Perhaps Bubba Chandler, a fellow top prospect who hasn't quite figured out the big leagues, would be enough to pry Holliday out of Baltimore; both are pre-arb talents with bright futures ahead of them.

That cost might sound steep, but remember who we're talking about here; Holliday rampaged his way through the minors as a teenager and is more than a full year younger than Chandler. Placing him next to Konnor Griffin would make for one of the most tantalizing double-play tandems in recent history.

If the goal is to replace Lowe at second base with someone of equal or more talent, the Pirates would be hard-pressed to find a better option than what the Orioles can offer. They just need to be prepared to pay the price.

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