Pirates, Orioles Could Be Natural Trade Partners
How the Pittsburgh Pirates go about improving their offense is among the burning questions the franchise faces heading into a make-or-break season in 2025.
Signing a free agent to a big contract would be breaking the status quo and expecting the Pirates to deviate from that is far-fetched, to say the least. Acquiring a player who won't break the bank and under club control beyond next season would appear to be much more reasonable.
Bleacher Report listed the top 25 trade chips heading into this offseason and had Baltimore Orioles right-handed first baseman at No. 16.
"Mountcastle has a 114 OPS+ over five seasons in the majors, and he has averaged 31 doubles, 26 home runs and 94 RBI per 162 games over the course of his time in the big leagues," Bleacher Report writes. "He has a 33-homer season on his resume, and could be a cheap power source for teams looking to add some pop. The Orioles were willing to entertain offers for him at the trade deadline, and moving him would clear a path for top prospect Coby Mayo."
The Pirates were among the league's worst offenses, ranking in the bottom 10 in nearly every major category. Mountcastle has shown that he has power, hitting over 20 home runs in each of his first two seasons. One could make a very strong case that Mountcastle's power numbers would look better if he wasn't playing at Camden Yards after they moved the left field wall back 26.5 feet and raised it by nearly six feet.
Mountcastle hit 13 home runs, had 63 RBIs and slashed .271/.308/425 and had an OPS+ of 113 in 2024.
With Orioles corner infielder Coby Mayo, the No. 8 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, knocking on the door, moving Mountcastle may be in the team's best interest. Mountcastle is under team control for the next two seasons before becoming a free agent.
While the Orioles farm system is among the league's best, ranking No. 3 by MLB Pipeline, their depth on the mound pales in comparison to their plethora of position players. Seven of their top 10 prospects and 20 of their top 30 by MLB Pipeline are position players.
That could make the Pirates an intriguing trade partner for Baltimore.
Pittsburgh boasts three pitchers in MLB Pipeline's top 100 rankings, with right-hander Bubba Chandler headlining the list at No. 15 overall. While he'd more than likely be off limits, a deal centered around Braxton Ashcraft (No. 85) or Thomas Harrington (No. 91) could be enough to get a deal done.
The adage you can never have too much pitching more than often holds true, but when a team needs offense and has plenty of depth on the mound, it'd be wise to use that strength to address a weakness. If the Orioles are looking to trade Mountcastle, a trade for one of the Pirates pitching prospects could be a win-win for both teams.
