Pirates Have Trade Candidate for Two Prospects
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CINCINNATI — The Pittsburgh Pirates face an important trade deadline, one where they'll have to part with some of their best prospects if they want to bolster their roster.
The New York Mets, who have desirable relief pitchers the Pirates would want, have shown trade interest in two Pirates prospects in third baseman Murf Gray and shortstop Sammy Stafura, per Michael Marino.
Both Pirates prospects are ranked in the top 15 in their farm system and Gray is a top 100 prospect, who will surely field trade interest from other teams as well.
The Pirates will have to make some tough decisions at the trade deadline and they'll have to decide whether they're willing to move on from some of their best future talent.
Why the Mets Would Want Those Two Pirates Prospects
Both prospects have had incredible seasons, particularly with what they've shown at the plate and it's seen them both rise up prospect rankings.
Gray has been excellent across three levels, Single-A Bradenton, High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, batting .311/.402/.591 for an OPS of .993 in 92 games, with 109 hits, 73 runs scored, 20 doubles, 26 home runs, 76 RBI and 48 walks to 84 strikeouts.
He leads all Pirates minor leaguers in numerous stats, including runs scored, home runs, RBI, plus slugging percentage and OPS with at least 70 games played, while ranking second in batting average and hits.
MLB Pipeline is high on Gray, putting him in their top 100 prospects, currently No. 99, and third in the Pirates farm system behind right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez and outfielder Edward Florentino.
Stafura joined the Pirates in the Ke'Bryan Hayes trade with the Cincinnati Reds at last year's deadline, but has finally broken out this season.
He has hit .302/.364/.665 for an OPS of 1.029 in 46 games with Greensboro, with 55 hits in 182 at-bats, 42 runs scored, seven doubles, 19 home runs, 51 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
Stafura has dominated in July, slashing .358/.379/.926 for an OPS of 1.305, with 29 hits in 81 at-bats, 25 runs scored, four doubles, 14 home runs, 35 RBI and six stolen bases.
He has three multi-home run games this month, including two home runs each in his past two games.
Stafura moved up in a recent farm re-rankings, with MLB Pipeline putting him seventh.
What Mets Relievers the Pirates May Desire
The Pirates need bullpen help and the Mets, who are one of the worst teams in baseball, have a strong bullpen with a number of arms that would help.
One the Pirates already have interest in is right-handed pitcher Luke Weaver, who has posted a 1.88 ERA over 41 outings and 43.0 innings pitched, 44 strikeouts to 11 walks, a .166 BAA and a 0.84 WHIP this season.
Weaver does have another year on his contract, where he'll get paid $12.5 million in 2027, a steep price for a reliever, but one the Pirates can work with the Mets on to either take on some of his contract for better prospects.
Another arm the Pirates may consider is 38-year-old left-hander Brooks Raley, who has posted a 2.01 ERA over 44 appearances and 40.1 innings pitched, 40 strikeouts to 15 walks, a .208 BAA and a 1.12 WHIP.
Raley is in the final year of his contract, which would come cheaper than Weaver, but the Pirates would have to decide if they need another southpaw.
One other option is right-hander Huascar Brazobán, who has posted a 2.61 ERA over 51.2 innings pitched, 47 strikeouts to 22 walks, a .169 BAA and a 1.01 WHIP.
Brazobán has team control through the end of the decade, but he is also 36 years old, so he wouldn't get the normal big package that a younger, controllable arm would.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.