Three change of scenery trade candidates for Roansy Contreras

Alek Thomas

Like Contreras, Alek Thomas was once a consensus top-100 prospect across baseball. But while his speed and defense have translated well into the Majors, Thomas' bat has yet to come around. He's given the D-Backs Gold Glove a caliber glove, but his mediocre hitting, combined with a truckload of up-and-coming outfield talent in the D-Backs' system, would make him a good change of scenery candidate to pair in a Contreras trade.

Thomas has 827 plate appearances in the Major Leagues, where he has batted just .230/.273/.362. While Thomas has only struck out 19.7% of the time, he's also rarely walked with a 5% BB%. Power also hasn't been a strong suit, with just 18 homers and a .131 isolated slugging percentage. All told, Thomas has a .276 wOBA and 72 wRC+. Thomas ranks bottom three in wOBA, OPS, and wRC+ and bottom ten in ISO among primary CFs since 2022, with at least 800 plate appearances.

The raw power hasn't played as many expected either. He has an 88.2 MPH exit velocity and 38% hard hit rate throughout his career. Neither are above average. Even if they were above average, he couldn't take advantage of his raw power to the fullest as he has a 2.3 degree launch angle and a 57.1% ground ball rate.

But Thomas is a great defender, and that's something the Pirates very much need right now. Through 1857.1 innings, Thomas has +11 defensive runs saved, outs above average, and +4.8 UZR/150. He's also displayed an above-average arm and plus to plus-plus speed on the base paths and in the field. The Pirates' outfield has struggled defensively, and having someone like this on the team who can sub-in late into games would be nice.

Thomas could soon get pushed out of the Diamondbacks' outfield. The Snakes have a multitude of young outfielders in their system, including former first-round pick Druw Jones, as well as Jack Hurley, Jorge Barrosa, and Kristian Robinson. They're all just as good of fielders as Thomas, but he has set an extremely low bar offensively. Thomas had an injury list stint earlier this year and missed a few weeks, but the D-Backs might leave him at Triple-A right now, given that Jake McCarthy is doing great, with Randal Grichuk also off to a solid start.

The Diamondbacks also need some pitching help. Starting pitchers Merrill Kelly and Ryne Nelson are on the injured list. So are Paul Sewald, Kyle Nelson, and Miguel Castro. Their pitching depth has definitely taken a hit to start the year, especially to some key pitchers like Sewald and Kelly, both of whom played massive roles in their NL Pennant run.

The Pirates could definitely use a defensive outfielder, while the D-Backs need some pitching. 

Both Contreras and Thomas are still young and were considered top prospects not all that long ago. Both have struggled badly the last two seasons as well. The only thing that massively separates them right now is that Thomas has options remaining.

Andrew Vaughn 

The Pirates have a little first base depth. But one first baseman who could definitely use a change in scenery is Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn. The former first-round pick was once considered one of the best prospects in baseball. He's struggled mightily so far into 2024, with a meager .486 OPS, .225 wOBA, and 42 wRC+, but wasn't a horrible hitter in the two prior seasons.

In 2022-2023, Vaughn slashed .264/.317/.429 with a .324 wOBA, and 104 wRC+. Vaughn provided about league average pop with a .165 isolated slugging percentage and going yard 38 times in 1170 plate appearances. Vaughn kept his strikeout rate below 20% at 19.2%, but rarely walked. He had just a 5.7% BB% during these two seasons.

Vaughn has not graded out well as a defender. His primary position is first base, where he has -5 defensive runs saved and -12 outs above average throughout his career. UZR/150 is somewhat kind to him, putting him at +2.2. He also saw a lot of games in corner outfield in 2021-2022 but was an even worse defender, as he had -19 DRS and -23 OAA.

The only thing is, I don't know if the White Sox would sell low on their first baseman. Sure, they might be rebuilding, but that gives them all the more reason to see if Vaughn can regain some value. But if they'd be willing to consider a change of scenery trade like this, it might be worth the Pirates' time to consider it. At the very least, if the Pirates were to go after Vaughn, they could send him to Triple-A.

Nate Pearson

Nate Peason was ranked as a top ten prospect across baseball in 2020 by multiple sites. The former first-round pick by the Toronto blue Jays looked like he could be a potential ace with a blazing fastball, and at the very least, a guy who could secure the 9th inning with ease. But Peason has had multiple non-arm injuries that has limited his playing time, and his command hasn't developed as many hoped.

Over the last two seasons, Pearson has been healthy enough to pitch 50 innings. But he owns a meager 4.91 ERA, 4.72 FIP, and 1.35 WHIP in that time. While his 23.2% strikeout rate is above average, he has allowed 10.4% of opponents to reach base via free pass. Home runs have also given him some issues, and he has a 1.30 HR/9 rate. That's because batters have a 91 MPH exit velocity against a flyball pitcher.

Pearson hasn't pitched like a former top-ten prospect, but at least his stuff is still there. Stuff+ has him at 125. His fastball averages 97.5 MPH, which sits in the 95th percentile. It has above-average ride through the zone with average horizontal break. Both his curveball and slider still have well above average horizontal break and vertical drop to them. 

Pearson has the stuff that made him dominant early in his minor league career. He throws very hard with a lot of movement. Some of his stuff is very similar to Pirates reliever Kyle Nicolas, who has looked great to start the year. Pearson only has one more option year remaining.