The Pittsburgh Pirates could be a team to watch this offseason, as it sounds like they’re willing to unload anything of value as they embark on a rebuild.
The Pirates traded All-Star first baseman Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals on Thursday in exchange for two minor league pitchers. When discussing the trade, Pittsburgh general manager Ben Cherington suggested that it likely won’t be the last move of its type.
Ben Cherington on trading Josh Bell and the types of those bigger trades to build for the future: "This probably won't be the last of them."
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) December 24, 2020
The Pirates were a dismal 19-41 in 2020, so there’s little to build off of. Pitcher Jameson Taillon is a potentially attractive piece, but he’s coming off Tommy John surgery and teams might be wary of giving up much for him.
Opponents didn’t think much of the Pirates’ talent last season. It sounds like it might be even worse in 2021.
