The Pittsburgh Pirates have not made any impactful moves this offseason. That said, they have had a number of key players brought up in trade rumors. Right now, it looks as though Josh Harrison could be dealt sooner rather than later.
Last year, Harrison had a decent year at the dish for the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .272/.339/.432 with a career-high 16 home runs and 12 stolen bases. Because he was hit by pitch 23 times, his on base percentage was slightly inflated. Overall, Harrison had a good year. His glove was well above average as per usual, most playing at second base. Harrison finished 2017 with an fWAR of 2.6, marking the second highest total of his career.
In terms of the money, Harrison is not exactly cheap. This year he is on the books for for $10 million with a team option the next two years for $10.5 and $11 million respectively. Both of those options include a $1 million buyout.
What teams line up as good fits for the Pittsburgh Pirates to deal with?
New York Mets
The Mets are looking for a new second baseman. Harrison is a possibility, and his name has been linked to the Mets, notably by the Trib’s Rob Biertempfel. In terms of fit, Harrison would be a perfect one. He has much more range at second base than Neil Walker and the Mets’ subsequent 2B options, so their infield defense would improve immediately. Walker did handle that bat better than Harrison last season. Walker had a wRC+ of 114 and Harrison a 104 rating, but the Mets would likely live with that small difference in exchange for versatility and better defense.
With Harrison making $10 million this year, his value isn’t absurdly high. He most likely won’t require a top prospect in return. They Mets do not have the best farm system. They could still get a deal done with a package of middle of the pack prospects.
Earlier this offseason, rumors of a Matt Harvey for Jurickson Profar deal were floating around. Ultimately the Mets wanted more. Maybe they would take Harrison for Harvey. Harrison is much more established but much older. This is merely speculation but it could make sense. The Pittsburgh Pirates would have their work cut out for them to get Harvey back to the level he was at previous to his numerous injuries, but it can be done.
Toronto Blue Jays
Right now, the Blue Jays — aka “Pittsburgh Pirates North” — have Devon Travis as their second baseman. He can field well but doesn’t have the strongest bat. Last year, he hit .259/.291/.438 with five home runs in 197 plate appearances. The Blue Jays could use an upgrade. The team wants to compete in 2018. They have showed that by holding onto Josh Donaldson who looks as though he will be difficult to pry away. That is good for the Pittsburgh Pirates as the St. Louis Cardinals looked like primary suitors in those talks.
The Blue Jays have two top prospects in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Those two names will be off the table for obvious reasons. Once again, Harrison will not land a top prospect. If the Pirates strike a deal with the Blue Jays, as they have in the past, it will be a package of B or C-level prospects.
New York Yankees
The Yankees are an obvious fit. They need both a second and third baseman as they have traded Starlin Castro and Chase Headley this offseason. The Yankees have been extremely active so far, trading for Giancarlo Stanton and re-signing CC Sabathia. When you make such a substantial move as they did with the Stanton trade, it’s logical that any team would keep going. The Yanks are clearly looking for another starting pitcher. A second or third baseman is also needed.
Cue the Pittsburgh Pirates. We’ve been hearing about it for weeks. Gerrit Cole to the Yankees. We know the names involved on the Yankees side. They refuse to include Gleyber Torres in any deal. The names of Clint Frazier, Chance Adams, and Miguel Andujar have been floated around.
Harrison could be a throw in to sweeten the deal. At this point, many are clamoring for the teams to just pull the trigger. If Cole and Harrison for Frazier, Adams, and Andujar is on the table, you have to take that deal. Frazier and Andujar have power potential and Adams is arguably the Yankees best pitching prospect. It is a good deal.
However, if the Pirates highly value one of the prospects in the rumored deal, the clubs might look into breaking off the Cole trade and only dealing Harrison. If that turns out to be the case, Frazier would likely be pulled off the table, and the club could “settle” for a singular piece such as Adams, or perhaps a package of lower-tier Yankees farmhands.
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