The Pirates are showing interest in the Orioles’ Taylor Ward and the Angels’ Jo Adell, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The two also affirm the team’s previously reported interest in Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazobán, among other Mets relievers.
Pittsburgh has one of the best lineups in the majors. The team’s 107 wRC+ ranks fourth behind the Dodgers, Nationals, and Cubs, while their 576 runs scored are greater than all but the Nationals. In Bryan Reynolds, Brandon Lowe, Nick Gonzales, and Ryan O’Hearn, the Bucs have four qualified hitters with a wRC+ of 114 or better. In our Trade Deadline Outlook entry on the Pirates, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco noted that the club should focus on bullpen and rotation upgrades, with a righty bench bat as a secondary need.
The situation is a little different now thanks to injury. O’Hearn, who has a 114 wRC+ through 398 plate appearances, landed on the 10-day injured list yesterday with a left quad strain. He’s expected to miss 6-8 weeks and might not return until the postseason, if the Pirates make it that far. Konnor Griffin was transferred to the 60-day IL a few weeks ago and is doing light baseball activities, though he is yet to start a rehab assignment. First baseman Spencer Horwitz went down in late June for a hamstring strain, though he’s since recovered and was just activated today.
It’s not a dire situation, per se, as Reynolds, Lowe, and Gonzales are still healthy. The Pirates also don’t strictly need a right-handed hitting outfielder. Esmerlyn Valdez and Jhostynxon Garcia both hit from the right side, and Valdez has an excellent 167 wRC+ in 168 plate appearances. Admittedly, Garcia has struggled in a very small sample, though he’s been slightly above average at Triple-A. Both Reynolds and Jake Magnum are switch hitters and plenty effective against both righties and lefties.
There’s also the matter of center fielder Oneil Cruz. He’s been on the IL since June with non-displaced metacarpal fractures, though general manager Ben Cherington believes that Cruz may begin a rehab assignment this week, as relayed by Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Assuming he makes it back by the end of this month, the Pirates’ outfield picture could look a little crowded.
From that angle, the team’s interest in Ward and Adell could signal a desire to double down on a strength rather than fill a specific need. Ward, in particular, is an on-base machine, having the 11th-best on base percentage (.383) among all qualified hitters. He is currently sporting a 116 wRC+ and is a clear target for teams needing righty-handed bats. The Yankees, Phillies, Rangers, and Guardians are among those who have expressed interest in Ward to date.
Adell would also be valuable as a righty bat, though the limitations in his profile make him a more difficult fit. He has an 89 wRC+ on the season, with nearly all of his production coming against southpaws (148 wRC+ in 130 plate appearances). Adell is also a defensive liability, earning -5 Defensive Runs Saved for his work in right field. By comparison, Ward has been worth 4 DRS in left field for the Orioles. The Yankees have reportedly talked to the Angels about Adell, as have the Phillies, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
Ward is playing on a $12.175MM salary and is an impending free agent, whereas Adell is earning $5.2MM and can be controlled through 2027. The Pirates currently have a cash payroll of $106.2MM and a luxury tax number of $140.1MM, as documented in MLBTR’s new Payroll Tracker. According to Cot’s Contracts, the latter figure exceeds the franchise record of $122.9MM (set in 2024) by over $17MM. At the same time, Pittsburgh is only 2.5 games out of a Wild Card spot and hasn’t made the postseason since 2015. Having arguably their best playoff opportunity in years, the team should still be willing to take on additional payroll, be it for Ward, Adell, or other players.
Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images
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