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Pittsburgh Pirates: Two Minnesota Twins Players to Pursue Via Trade
According to reports, the Minnesota Twins are fielding trade interest on two players, both of whom play a position of need for the Pittsburgh Pirates
Thus far, the offseason has not been an active one for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Other than trading for Marco Gonzales, the Pirates have not done anything yet to improve the MLB roster. Part of that is due to the Pirates, as usual, not being big players in free agency.
Instead, it appears that general manager Ben Cherington plans to attempt to address the roster's needs via trade more than in free agency.
On Saturday, news broke that the Minnesota Twins are fielding trade interest on second baseman Jorge Polanco and right fielder Max Kepler. With both of these players potentially available on the trade market, Cherington needs to be on the phone with Minnesota GM Thad Levine.
Right now, the Pirates do not have an answer for second base. With the team committing to Henry Davis catch in 2024, that creates a need in the outfield. Cherington has even stated that the Pirates will be in the market for outfield help this offseason.
It appears the Pirates are fine with Jack Suwinski continuing to play center field. With Bryan Reynolds entrenched in left field, that means right field is the spot the team would look to upgrade at. That makes Kepler a perfect fit with the Bucs.
The left-handed hitting Kepler slashed .260/.332/.484 last season. Kepler posted a 9.2% walk rate, 21.6% strikeout rate, 124 wRC+, 121 OPS+, and hit 24 home runs to go with an isolated slugging (ISO) of .224.
Kepler is also a strong defensive right fielder. Last season, he posted a +2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and a +4 Outs Above Average (OAA) in right field. In his career, he owns a career +48 DRS and +55 OAA in right field.
The 30-year-old Kepler is in the final season of a 6-year contract extension he signed before the 2019 season. So, Kepler would be just a rental piece for the Pirates. However, this could also drive Minnesota's asking price for Kepler down and make it easier for the Pirates to afford him in a trade.
Potential answer at second base?
Like Kepler, Polanco is closing in on the end of a contract extension he signed ahead of the 2019 season. However, Polanco would come with two years of control due to his contract including a club option for the 2025 season. Due to this, Polanco would likely cost more than Kepler via trade, but he would be a perfect with the Pirates.
Polanco is coming off a season in which he hit for a .255/.335/.454 slash line, with a 118 wRC+, 118 OPS+, 10.5% walk rate, 25.7% strikeout rate, and an ISO of .199. This would be a massive upgrade over what the Pirates got from the second base position in 2023.
Last season, Pirate second basemen hit for a .228/.296/.335 slash line with a 71 wRC+, .107 ISO, and a 26.8% strikeout rate. Pirate second basemen were 25th in the majors in ISO, 26th in on-base percentage, and 28th in slugging percentage. Their -1.1 fWAR ranked 29th. Flat out putrid numbers.
Not only would Polanco be a huge upgrade for the Pirates, being under team control through 2025 makes him the perfect bridge for second base until Termarr Johnson is ready for the majors. Arguably the best second base prospect in baseball, Johnson should be on track to reach the majors at some point in 2025. This would allow Polanco to give the Pirates great production from second base for two seasons, before handing the reigns over to Johnson full-time following the 2025 season.
Now, will the Pirates pursue either of these players? Probably not. Nothing Cherington has done indicates he is willing to part with the pieces necessary to swing a trade of this caliber. So this is probably a wasted exercise to even discuss it.
However, landing one of Kepler or Polanco, let alone both, would vastly improve the team's chances of contending in 2024. Attempting to contend in 2024 should be the goal for Cherington and the Pirates. But is it the goal? Well, that is certainly debatable.
Breaking Down Marco Gonzales. dark. Next. breaking down Gonzales