Now that the Pittsburgh Pirates have inserted themselves into the National League Wild Card race, it is time look at some potential upgrades. One spot of interest should be in the middle infield.
With an fWAR of 0.7, Jordy Mercer has been okay this year. Josh Harrison (0.3 fWAR) has been below average. It is not time to rely on the recently hot Sean Rodriguez (0.2 fWAR) quite yet.
Kevin Newman and Kevin Kramer are waiting in the wings down in AAA, but they aren’t necessarily upgrades over the guys in the majors now. Neither have ever stepped on a major league diamond.
Jung Ho Kang is still working his way back from an injured wrist. Even if healthy, he is nothing more than a wild card at this point.
An upgrade would help. Here are some interesting targets the Pirates could possibly (but more than likely not) go after.
Scooter Gennett
Let’s just get the pipe dream out of the way now. Gennett has been excellent this year. The Reds’ All-Star second baseman is hitting .316/.365/.503 with 16 home runs and 21 doubles in 405 plate appearances. His fWAR sits a crisp 3.0.
Gennett would slot nicely in the middle of the order for the Pirates. His defense isn’t terrible. Adding Gennett would be a game changer and would send a blaring message to both the players and fans that this team is serious about winning this season.
Being that he has one remaining year of team control left after this year, Gennett would not be a rental. In my mind, it would cost a top prospect to get him. Some other lesser prospects would need to be sprinkled in as well.
Where the Pirates sit right now, that cost may be a little high. They still need to win a lot more games make a legitimate playoff push. I personally would not part with an Austin Meadows or Mitch Keller to get him. I don’t even know if I would be comfortable dealing Shane Baz or Ke’Bryan Hayes. Probably not.
If his cost isn’t what I suspect, getting Gennett would be a great add. I just don’t see it.
Asdrubal Cabrera
Cabrera has put together a nice season for the New York Mets this year. He is hitting .276/.327/.478 in 397 plate appearances. He has 17 home runs and 21 doubles. Cabrera can play anywhere in the infield but would take over second base duties for the Pirates. Like Gennett, Cabrera would hit in the middle of the order. The switch-hitter has an fWAR of 1.9 this season.
Cabrera is in the final year of his contract. His salary this season is $8.5 million making his remaining salary owed more than affordable. Being that he is a rental, his cost should not be all that high in terms of prospects.
If I’m the Pirates, this is a guy I would zero in on. He adds both lineup and defensive flexibility. He has power and would add some veteran flair to the clubhouse. Most importantly, the cost will not be otherworldly.
Jonathan Schoop
Last season, the Baltimore Orioles’ second baseman was a monster. He hit close to .300 with 32 home runs. This season, not so much. In 346 plate appearances, Schoop is hitting .238/.270/.427 with 14 home runs and 18 doubles. His fWAR is 0.4.
To me, Schoop would be a nice buy low candidate. Like Gennett, he has one remaining year of team control after this. The cost to get him would not be terribly high, more than Cabrera but less than Gennett. Schoop has been a shell of his 2017 self. His hard hit rate is down about ten percent. His ground balls are up.
On the other hand, the Orioles are historically awful this season. My goodness they are so bad. Perhaps a clubhouse change would spark an uptick in his production. Even with his struggles, Schoop would still be an upgrade over Harrison.
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