Pirates Interested In Former Yankees Outfielder
The Pittsburgh Pirates' search for help in the outfield has seemingly been narrowed down to two players.
Fansided's Robert Murray reported that the Pirates are showing interest in former Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees left-handed hitting outfielder Alex Verdugo. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand also reported that veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk is also a name Pittsburgh is keeping tabs on.
Verdugo spent last season with the Yankees, as they went on to win the American League pennant before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games in the World Series. Verdugo, 28, posted a 0.8 Wins Above Replacement and batted .233/.291/.356 with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs. The veteran outfielder's WAR, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage were all the lowest of his career outside of his brief appearances in the big leagues in 2017 and 2018.
Verdugo primarily played left field for the Yankees last season.
In the playoffs, Verdugo batted .208/.309/.313 with one home run and eight RBIs for New York. Prior to spending last season with the Yankees, Verdugo played for the Dodgers from 2017 to 2019 and the Red Sox from 2020 to 2023.
Grichuk, 33, has played for the St. Louis Cardinals. (2014-2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2018-2021), Colorado Rockies (2022-2023), Los Angeles Angels (2023) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2024) across his 11-year career. The veteran outfielder had a solid 2024 season, batting .291/.348/.528 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs and posted a 2.2 WAR, which was his highest since 2018.
In his career, Grichuk has hit over 20 home runs four times, though, he hasn't accomplished the feat since 2021.
The Pirates' need for an outfielder hasn't been a secret and it became an even more glaring need after they addressed first base by trading for Spencer Horwitz. Whether it's Grichuk, Verdugo, or a different player, Pittsburgh will need them to add some thump to an offense that has consistently been among baseball's worst in recent years.
