Bleacher Report surprisingly lists Pirates as trade destination for star slugger

The MLB Trade Deadline is nearing and the Pirates are looking like a potential buying team. They have been playing solid baseball, but they are in need of reinforcements. First base is a potential position that the Pirates should look to fix up after Rowdy Tellez got off to a rough start and Connor Joe has regressed after his very hot start to the season.

Due to the performances of these rostered first baseman, GM Ben Cherington may look to acquire another first baseman to make a change. Bleacher Report has the Pirates as a potential landing spot for a star slugger.

Bleacher Report has ranked the Pirates as the 10th potential landing spot for Mets star Pete Alonso

Pete Alonso is not a name most Pirates fans would expect as a target at a trade deadline. He is an expensive, big-named player, and Pittsburgh does not have a good history of going after top players at the deadline. Recently they have sold many players, but it appears that their current team warrants a change.

Alonso is an interesting player to match with the Pirates. He is having his worst season at the plate but has still been one of the top first baseman in the league. This season, he has a .229 batting average with 14 home runs and 32 RBI. He also has an OPS of .760, which includes an on-base percentage of .309 and a slugging percentage of .451. His wRC+ is solid at 119 and his strikeout percentage is at 20.8%.

This season has not been his best, but it is still not bad at all. He has an interesting price though. He is definitely one of the top first baseman in the league, but he is a free agent after this season. This rental is on a $20.5 million dollar contract for his final season of arbitration. Although the Pirates would not need to pay that entire contract, it is still an expensive piece for the remainder of the season.

What would it cost the Pirates to acquire Pete Alonso?

A trade for Alonso would definitely include a top prospect from the Pirates; perhaps the likes of Braxton Ashcraft, the Pirates sixth ranked prospect. The Mets would ideally like to get a top pitching prospect in a deal like this, as they only have two pitching prospects ranked inside of their top ten.

In the end, Alonso is a very expensive player that the Pirates could be a potential suitor for at the deadline. It is unlikely that the Pirates will end up getting this star first baseman, but it is not impossible. With the deadline nearing, the Pirates could go on a big run and get closer to a playoff spot, which could result in them getting a big player like Alonso.