Three change of scenery trade candidates for Roansy Contreras

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.