4 trades Pirates should consider as hybrid buyers, sellers at 2024 MLB Trade Deadline

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The annual MLB Trade Deadline is an exciting time of year, especially for the teams trying to bulk up their rosters for a postseason push. The Pirates are finally in position to add to their roster as they look to compete for a Wild Card spot.

With the way their roster currently sits, not only could they be buyers at the deadline, but they could also sell a few of their players that are on expiring contracts. Let's take a look at a possible trade deadline plan, consisting of four trades, that would help the Pirates this year and in the future.

The number one positional need for the Pirates is center field, and acquiring JJ Bleday would fix that need for years to come.

JJ Bleday is a center fielder who will not be a free agent until after the 2028 regular season. He is still in pre-arbitration, and that is exactly the type of player the Pirates are after. The former first-round pick is having his best season of his short career. He is finally getting consistent playing time at the big league level and he is showing great progression.

This season, Bleday has a .237 batting average with 11 home runs and 30 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .747, which includes an on-base percentage of .318 and a slugging percentage of .429. His wRC+ is solid at 115, and his strikeout percentage is the lowest in his career at 18.5%. His growth at the plate shows promise for improvement moving forward.

According to Statcast metrics, Bleday has actually gotten unlucky at the plate. His expected batting average sits at .257. He also shows great plate discipline, which has resulted in a 23.1% chase rate and a walk percentage of 10.2%. Both are above the 75th percentile in all of baseball.

Defensively, Bleday is average in center, but he has been improving from his first two seasons. He currently has negative two defensive runs saved and negative one outs above average. His arm value is ranked in the 82nd percentile in the MLB.

Among qualified center fielders in the MLB, Bleday is the sixth-best with an fWAR of 1.6. Acquiring Bleday would solve a problem and help the Pirates get to the playoffs in 2024, along with getting them a player locked in for years to come.

The Pirates would need to formulate a package to be able to acquire the young outfielder. A package of Michael Kennedy, the Pirates' 13th-ranked prospect, along with Tres Gonzales, the Pirates' 25th-ranked prospect, and a big-league ready player in Ji Hwan Bae could potentially get a deal done.

The Pirates should target Justin Turner at the MLB Trade Deadline.

After they get a controllable outfielder in Bleday, they should look to add a veteran bat to bolster the lineup. The Blue Jays, no matter what lane they pick, should be amenable to dealing rental players like Justin Turner, and the Pirates targeting him makes a lot of sense. Although he is a rental, he could help the Pirates fill in a hole by platooning at first base with Rowdy Tellez. This would force Connor Joe primarily to right field as another platoon option with Jack Suwinski.

Despite being 39 years old, Turner has continued to be a solid hitter at the plate. This season, Turner has a batting average of .249 with five home runs and 27 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .731, which includes an on-base percentage of .358 and a slugging percentage of .373. His wRC+ is solid at 115 and his strikeout percentage is low at 16.1%. His overall power numbers are down, but he is still a solid hitter.

He still has elite vision at the plate, as his walk percentage sits at 13%, which is ranked in the 94th percentile and is a career high. He puts the bat on the ball consistently with a whiff percentage of 16.4%, and that ranks in the 92nd percentile.

On defense, Turner has been the main designated hitter for Toronto. He has gotten in at the corner infield positions and has not been bad. At first base, where he would fit perfectly with Tellez, he has one defensive run saved and one out above average. That is impressive, for just 71 innings played.

The price for a rental of Turner will probably not be too expensive, but the Pirates could get away with a deal with the team's 30th ranked prospect, Khristian Curtis, as well as a potential FCL lottery ticket. The Pirates never let Tellez hit against left-handed pitching, so a platoon option as strong as Turner could help a lot for a postseason push. Joe is currently that guy for the platoon, but he could be more productive in a platoon role in right field with Suwinski.

After the Pirates buy two positions of need, they should also look to sell a few veterans on expiring contracts. Players like Yasmani Grandal and Michael A. Taylor are likely candidates to be designated for assignment, but as we saw with Austin Hedges in 2023, they could net a cheap return. Two other players on one-year deals that the Pirates need to keep are Tellez and Andrew McCutchen.

Two candidates for the Pirates to sell at the deadline are Martin Perez and Aroldis Chapman.

Martín Pérez has been a solid starter in the Pirates rotation, but rising rookies such as Paul Skenes and Jared Jones have made it hard for him to keep a spot. Other arms like Bailey Falter and Luis Ortiz are also making strong cases to remain in the rotation. Marco Gonzales is another arm returning from injury, so Pérez is losing a spot on the team down the stretch, it would seem.

This season, Pérez has a 1-4 record with a 4.72 earned run average in 68.2 innings pitched and has struck out 52 batters. Opponents are batting .302 against him, and his WHIP is at 1.54. He has one of the lowest walk percentages in his career at 7.3%, but batters are hitting the ball well off of him. He has not been great, but he definitely could go on a hot streak now that he is healthy.

A team like Houston, in desperate need of pitching, could make sense for Pérez. The Pirates would be looking to acquire a prospect, but one that is close to the majors. The Astros' 26th-ranked prospect, Pedro Leon, makes sense for the Pirates to target, as he has been great in Triple-A this season, but is struggling to find a spot on Houston's team.

Another rental from the Pirates that could be dealt at the deadline is Aroldis Chapman. This is a difficult one, as the Pirates need a strong left-hander in the bullpen, but with Ryan Borucki coming back, Chapman could be a player to sell.

This season, Chapman has a 1-3 record with an earned run average of 3.66 in 32 innings pitched and has struck out 52 batters. Opponents are batting just .184 against him, but his WHIP is very high at 1.56. That WHIP is a career high, and it is all due to his control. He is walking batters at a career-high 20.1% clip.

Despite the struggling season, many teams would take a chance on Chapman, as he has historically been a great reliever, which may get him into Cooperstown.

With many teams likely to be on Chapman's radar, the Pirates could get a haul for him. The Dodgers seem like a likely team that could target the veteran. The Dodgers' 10th-ranked prospect, Kendall George, and 25th-ranked prospect, Austin Gauthier, make a lot of sense for a return for Chapman. Gauthier is a utility player that has a solid bat and is close to the majors, while George is a 19-year-old outfielder who has an 80-graded run tool. A lottery type of player, sure, but he has a lot of potential.

If the Pirates got rid of Chapman, they could acquire another, cheap left-hander that could help the team a lot. AJ Puk from the Marlins has struggled this season as a starter, but has found a groove as a reliever. He would be a cheap replacement with bounce back potential.

With the Wild Card race remaining very close, the Pirates are going to need to do something to remain in it. Their offense has been bad, but a few additions could give them an edge and get them on a win streak. The deadline is less than a month away, but this laid-out plan could improve the team a lot without depleting too much of the farm.

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