Pittsburgh Pirates: Top Five Position Player Trade Targets

The Pittsburgh Pirates need to add some talent to their line-up this off-season, and these five potential trade targets should be at the top of their list.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a few holes in their line-up. The biggest is first base or second base. Jared Triolo can only spread himself so thin and at one position. The Pirates could obviously use one of their half-dozen second base capable players, though a more proven option would be more preferable, just so the Pirates aren’t relying on all young guys to carry the offense. 

One could even argue that an outfield spot is in need of fixing. The Pirates have said that Henry Davis, who spent all but two of his innings in right field, could see significantly more time behind the plate next year. If Davis is more of a part-time right fielder than a full-on regular like he was this past season, this could open up another hole.

But the Pirates have plenty of options, both on the free agent market and the trade market Today, we are going to be looking at the trade market. We have previously looked at what I see as the top five pitching trade targets the Pirates should pursue, but now, we are going to look at the position player side of things.

Number Five - Ryan Noda

How often are first-season players put on the trade market? It’s rare, but with the Oakland Athletics, you never know. One of those players whom the A’s may look to trade is first baseman Ryan Noda. Noda was the first overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft and delivered a quality rookie season. If the A’s are looking to continue their complete teardown, you might see Noda’s name come up in trade rumors this off-season.

Noda finished his year with a .229/.364/.406 triple-slash. Nolda had a .342 wOBA, resulting in a league and ballpark adjusted 123 wRC+. Noda hit for above average power, going yard 16 times with a .177 isolated slugging percentage, but got on base via a strong 15.6% walk rate. Noda was more of a three-true-outcomes kind of batter, as he struck out at a 34.3% rate.

Noda certainly has the raw power to hit for more pop in the future. The lefty batter was in the 71st percentile or better of hard hit rate (45%), exit velocity (91.2 MPH), and barrel rate (13%). Noda was known for his plus raw power throughout his time in the LA Dodger system, and he showed it off here in his first big league campaign.

Despite the strong power profile, Baseball Savant’s expected numbers did not love Noda. He had just a .334 xwOBA, .399 xSLG%, and .212 xBA. But there are some positives that could help him overplay his expected numbers, aside from having a strong ability to hit the ball hard.

Noda also had drastic home/away splits. When playing in Oakland Coliseum, he batted just .199/.331/.372 with a 107 wRC+. However, when Noda went on the road, he slashed .257/.397/.438 with a 136 wRC+. He was 30% better when he was playing as the guest, and there’s a reason why. Oakland is the 5th least friendly hitter park over the last three seasons. PNC Park is far more hitter friendly, as it ranks around the middle of the pack.

Since Noda was a rookie, he is still a few years away from even being arbitration eligible. That would make him a potential long-term solution at first base. There are some red flags, but I think the positives outweigh the negatives about Noda. It might cost a little extra, given his contract status, but if the A’s decide to shop the first baseman, I think he is one the Pirates should pursue. But you could make an easy argument that the A’s will keep him for now. One year into his pro career, and a solid rookie season at that, and get traded already? Sure, the A’s aren’t known for keeping their players around long-term, but that’s a short stint, even for the A’s. That’s the main reason he isn’t higher up on today’s list.

Number Three - Brandon Drury

Brandon Drury came off a strong 2022 season with the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres and took home a Silver Slugger. The LA Angels then signed the utility man to a two-year contract, and he’s been able to replicate similar numbers in 2023. But with the Angels potentially tearing it down (at least trading off short-term players), Drury could be one of the first players out the door for the Halos.

Drury is coming off a year where he hit .262/.306/.497 with a .339 wOBA, and 114 wRC+. This is the second year in a row Drury topped 25 homers, smacking 26 while having a .235 isolated slugging percentage. Drury has been one of the most underrated sluggers in baseball the last two seasons. He outpaces Ronald Acuna Jr., Jose Ramirez, Jose Altuve, and Paul Goldschmidt in ISO from 2022-2023. 

The only downside to Drury’s game is his so-so plate approach. He struck out 26% of the time in 2023, and had a sub-5% walk rate at 4.8%. He was slightly better in 2022 though with a 6.7% walk rate and 22.2% strikeout rate, though neither of those numbers were great either for the Reds/Padres.

Drury can fix one of two positions for the Pirates. That’s second or first base. He’s considered a solid defender at both positions. Last year, he had -1 defensive run saved, but +5 outs above average at the keystone. At first base, he had -1 DRS, and zero OAA. Second base is his better position, but he can more than hold his own at first.

It’s very realistic that Drury gets traded, and would be well within the Pirates’ price range, both in terms of money and what they would have to give up. He is owed less than $10 million. But because he only has one year left on his contract keeps him from ranking higher on today’s list. However, Drury is definitely a player that needs to be on the Pirates’ radar.

Number Two - Jorge Polanco

Coming in at number two, we have Twins’ infielder Jorge Polanco. Like Kepler, Polanco’s name has been brought up in some trade rumors. Polanco has consistently been a good hitter in the Majors, and while his glove might not be great, he comes with a second season of control left, that is if he can stay healthy in 2024.

Polanco played nearly half of the season, appearing in 80 games, but was quite productive when he played. He slashed .253/.335/.454 with a .340 wOBA, and 118 wRC+. Polanco has always hit for above average power, and clocked in with 14 home runs, and a .199 isolated slugging percentage. Polanco may have even been better, as he ended the year with a .486 xSLG%, .351 xwOBA, and the best hard hit and barrel rate of his career.

A middle infielder by trade, Polanco’s glove up the middle is not great. While he had +1 defensive run saved at his primary position, second base, he also had a -6.3 UZR/150 and -5 outs above average. He was primarily a shortstop for the first few years of his career, but registered even worse defensive numbers.

But Polanco is a consistent bat. Since 2018, he has registered a wRC+ of at least 111 (minus the short 2020 campaign). 2017 marks the only season since his 2016 rookie campaign he was a below-average hitter in a 162 game season.

He has the seventh highest ISO and 5th most home runs among second basemen since 2021. He is one of the best power threats at his position. The only downside of his bat in the 2023 season was his sub-par 25.7% strikeout rate. But he posted an above-average 10.7% walk rate and struck out just 19.7% of the time in 2021-2022.

Polanco’s team option for $10.5 million will assuredly be picked up by the Twins. But he also has a team option for 2025 worth just $12 million. He’s affordable, a consistently quality hitter, and adds another power bat to the line-up. The only thing is his defense isn’t good. Some of the issues could be mitigated by a late inning defensive replacement, like moving Triolo from first to second base or keeping Alika Williams on the roster as a middle infield defensive specialist, but it’s still a negative nonetheless.

Number One - Ha-Seong Kim

The San Diego Padres are looking to cut some payroll this winter, and one player whose name has come up in trade talks is infielder Ha-Seong Kim. Kim has been one of baseball’s best infield defenders for the last three seasons and has racked up at least a dozen defensive runs saved in each of his Major League seasons. But his bat has gotten better each and every season of his time in the US.

In 626 plate appearances, Kim slashed .260/.351/.399 with a .330 wOBA, and 112 wRC+. Kim posted career bests in each of the three triple-slash numbers, as well as in wOBA, and wRC+. The former KBO star also walked at a 12% rate. At one point, Kim looked like he might get some down ballot MVP votes, as he entered August with an OPS over .800. But after a horrific September where he had a sub-.500 OPS in the final month of the season, his numbers took a slight downtick.

Kim’s defense is his calling card, and there’s a reason he is a Gold Glove finalist at second base. He racked up +10 defensive runs saved and +7 outs above average, and he was able to do that in less than 900 innings at second base. But if Kim were to play either shortstop or third base regularly, he’d be a Gold Glove finalist at those positions too. He has +9 DRS and +2 OAA at the hot corner in just 590.1 innings, and at shortstop, he has +22 DRS, and +7 OAA throughout his career. This is also the second year in a row Kim has managed to post a double-digit DRS count at one position. In 2022, he was at shortstop, but this year he played second base.

Adding Kim to the Pirates infield may just give them the best defensive infield in baseball. Kim would slide Triolo over to first base, and with him and Ke’Bryan Hayes at the corners, nothing is getting down the lines. Of course, Oneil Cruz is the weakest link, but with Kim and Hayes flanking him, some of his defensive woes may be mitigated, at least slightly.

Kim is a great player who has averaged about 4.0 fWAR the last two seasons, is an above league average hitter, and one of the best middle infield defenders in the sport. Kim is also affordable, as he’s owed just $8 million next year. The only real negative is that he’s only controlled for a single season. But one year of a four-WAR player is extremely valuable, and more valuable than two years from many other players.

Honorable Mentions

Harold Ramirez

You remember Harold Ramirez, right? The Pirates traded him as part of the much criticized Francisco Liriano salary dump. Ramirez’s first few years in the big leagues were pretty unimpressive. But he has hit .306/.338/.432 with a .338 wOBA, and 123 wRC+ over the last two seasons for the Tampa Bay Rays. Ramirez would be a candidate to fill in at first base and right field, as he’s played these two positions the most the last two seasons. However, it’s far from a guarantee that the Rays trade him as he has two years of control remaining. 

Andrew Vaughn

The White Sox could look to trade some of their young players this off-season. They did so with Jake Burger at the trade deadline, and they could listen to offers on former first round pick Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn has been about a slightly above league average hitter the last two seasons, batting .264/.317/.429 with a 107 wRC+. But his defense has been poor at first base with -3 DRS and -9 OAA in ‘22-’23. The White Sox don’t seem like they’re going to commit to a complete tear down, at least not this off-season. Plus also don’t have much to lose by seeing if Vaughn can break out. After all, he was one of the best prospects in baseball just a few years ago.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

This is a big and bold one. I’d be ecstatic if the Pirates sought after and acquired Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero Jr. is coming off a down season, by his lofty standards. He hit .264/.345/.444 with a 118 wRC+. Of course, those are still above-average numbers, but considering he was an MVP caliber hitter two years ago, and was still at an All-Star level in 2022, it is a tad low. He also had -13 OAA at first base. There are some positives, such as his .374 xwOBA, .291 xBA, .494 xSLG%, and the fact he is controlled via arbitration in 2024-2025. But, even if the Blue Jays listen to offers involving Guerrero Jr., they’ll probably be looking for a lot more than what his 2023 season was worth. I’m confident the Jays will try and compete again in 2024, and they probably see Guerrero Jr. as a part of their line-up, at least for the ‘24 season. But on the off chance they are willing to part with Guerrero for a reasonable price, the Pirates should really consider it.

Seth Brown

Seth Brown is another first baseman from the Oakland Athletics. Brown was a solid hitter in 2021-2022, with a 112 wRC+ and 45 home runs while slashing .224/.294/.457. He hit for very good power, with an ISO of .233. However, Brown missed a good portion of the 2023 season. He isn’t a free agent until after 2026, so the A’s may not move Brown right now in hopes of him rebounding to his 2021-2022 peaks.