What a trade for Orioles' Ryan Mountcastle could do for the Pirates' lineup

Opening Weekend is officially behind us and there are already some trade rumors sprouting around the league. The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly listening to trade offers on Ryan Mountcastle. This comes at a surprise in the beginning of the season, especially since Baltimore is a legitimate contender in the American League.

Nonetheless, if it can benefit the Pittsburgh Pirates, they should be all over it. What if Ben Cherington made a bold move to bring Mountcastle aboard?

Pirates Rumors: Could Ryan Mountcastle trade with Orioles be on the table?

As Spencer Horwitz currently rehabs his way back to full baseball activities, three players have already seen time at first base: Endy Rodriguez, Jared Triolo, and Enmanuel Valdez. Combined, they have no hits. This is not a primary position for any of these players and they all struggle offensively, so a change is necessary.

Horwitz is going to be a big boost to the offense, but he's currently projected to be the team's starting first baseman. That does not exactly leave an opening for Mountcaslte on this team, but with the injury to Nick Gonzales, there are ways to get everyone in the lineup.

Last season, Horwitz played 39 games at second base and was not an awful defender. He had a league average OAA (0). But as long as his bat is where it needs to be, it'll be a net positive for the Pirates.

That would leave Mountcastle at first base, and when Gonzales is healthy he could take over at shortstop, a position he is very familiar with. That would make Isiah Kiner-Falefa the real utility guy. His at-bats against Miami were impressive, but he has never put together a wRC+ over 100 in a season. On top of that, his career at shortstop has been nowhere near as productive as other infield positions he's logged reps at.

This is a very doable option, especially since the Pirates have a deep farm system when it comes to pitching. It is unknown what Baltimore is after, but finding a way to add a guy who produced a 108 wRC+ and a .733 OPS would really help this team out in the long run. They can easily work around some of the defensive issues in order to make this lineup better offensively. So why not try it Ben Cherington?!