In the latest segment of “Full Count” by Ken Rosenthal, the FOX Sports reporter goes in to detail about the Pittsburgh Pirates and some rumors as we head to the trade deadline. The video can be found above, and the Pirates segment starts at the 1:46 mark. Here are the highlights:
-He says the Pirates are “aggressively pursuing upgrades”.
-He mentions that the Pirates will get a lot of help from injured players who are set to return, notably Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, and Evan Meek. He also mentioned Pedro Alvarez as “getting himself back together in AAA”.
-Rosenthal says the Pirates clearly could use a bat, but that they’re “not that keen” on Carlos Pena, due to his strikeouts, and his declining defense.
-A bit of a surprise. Rosenthal says that some with the Pirates believe an 8th inning reliever would be the best bet for an upgrade. Considering they have Jose Veras and Chris Resop performing well in the role, and Evan Meek returning soon, an 8th inning reliever seems low on the priority list.
-He finishes by saying that they’re still looking for that big bat as well.
