The Pittsburgh Pirates have one of the most enviable starting rotations in Major League Baseball, but their offense has room for improvement. As the team looks to boost its lineup, they could leverage their depth in pitching to acquire a young slugger through trade. One potential deal that could make sense this offseason involves the Boston Red Sox and the Pirates, as proposed by Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer.
Rymer suggested a trade where the Red Sox would receive right-handed pitcher Jared Jones, while the Pirates would land first baseman Triston Casas and second baseman/shortstop David Hamilton. While losing Jones would create a gap in their pitching depth, the Pirates would still have several promising arms available, such as Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, and Thomas Harrington. The Pirates’ strength is their pitching, but they have struggled for years to develop impactful bats. Casas, who has a career .830 OPS and 42 home runs over 222 MLB games, offers enormous potential to help address this need.
There are also indications that the Red Sox may be open to moving Casas to strengthen their roster in other areas, such as adding an infielder like Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman. Reports from MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam suggest that the Red Sox could trade Casas to facilitate these moves. Jones, coming off a solid debut season with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts, could provide the Red Sox with a reliable middle-of-the-rotation arm. He has two more seasons before becoming arbitration-eligible, making him an attractive option for a team looking to bolster its pitching staff.
For the Pirates, adding Casas would be a significant offensive upgrade. In 2024, they ranked near the bottom of MLB in several offensive categories, including total hits, batting average, and on-base percentage. Casas, with a career slash line of .250/.357/.475, could be a long-term solution at first base, helping to anchor the lineup alongside newly-acquired Spencer Horowitz. In addition to Casas, acquiring Hamilton would add more depth to the Pirates’ infield. Though Hamilton is not as strong offensively, he was one of the best baserunners in MLB last year and could serve as a useful option for the Pirates’ thin middle infield.
A deal like this, which would exchange some of the Pirates’ pitching depth for offense, makes sense as the team looks to build for the future. With a focus on younger, controllable players like Casas and Hamilton, the Pirates could make significant strides toward improving their offensive output. If the team is committed to a faster return to contention, Rymer’s proposed trade could become a reality before spring training begins.
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