Even after acquiring Aramis Ramirez from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to add another hitter and they have shown interest in both Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino of the Boston Red Sox, according to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Napoli, 33, has had a brutal year at the plate, but is still a capable defender. The free-agent-to-be is hitting .205 this season to go along with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. If the Red Sox want to trade Napoli, they would have to eat quite a bit of the $5+ million he is still owed. In all likelihood, these are Napoli’s final days with the team.
Victorino, 34, has had a less than ideal tenure with the Red Sox after signing a three-year, $39 million deal with the team. Like Napoli, Victorino is a free agent at the end of the season, so no acquiring team would have to hang onto him long-term. In 33 games played this season, Victorino is hitting .245 with one home run and four RBI.
If the Pirates fail to acquire either Napoli or Victorino, scouts say that Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles would be a good fit. It’s unclear if the Pirates are interested in him, but it might be something to keep an eye on.
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Where would we even put victorino? We have marte, McCutchen, polanco. With Harrison due back by the end of the next month. Napoli makes a little more sense to platoon with ishi provided Alvarez is part of the trade to Boston.
If Baltimore were slow enough to give Chris Davis for Pedro, I’m all in. Davis may be a cheater and has the same .avg more or less as Pedro, but he is more of a consistent power threat.
But either of these washed up beantown boys can stay away. Pedro has 15 HRs, 51 RBIs and a .303 OBP. Not his greatest numbers, but much more acceptable than anything these two would add.