MLB Trade Rumors: Pirates have interest in Hunter Pence
By Matt Shetler
The Pittsburgh Pirates failed to acquire San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence at the trade deadline once.
Pirates’ general manager Neal Huntington may not make that same mistake twice.
Jul 13, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) reacts after a diving catch during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, the Pirates are one of several teams that have interest in Pence as the trade deadline nears.
The only problem is that the Giants have yet to make it known if he is available.
As I have reported over the course of the past few weeks, the Bucs have interest in Chicago White Sox outfielder Alex Rios as well and as Heyman notes, one scout notes that ”they have a right field problem.”
Heyman also notes that Giants people are saying for them to consider trading Pence they’d have to be out of the race, and they’d have to be overwhelmed.
But with Pence about to become a free agent, it is hard to imagine the price being that high.
They aren’t out of the race in the tight NL West, not by a long shot, as they stand just 5.5 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. That alone makes it seems like they will hold onto Pence for the stretch run.
While not a superstar; Pence could be a better option than Rios or Nate Schierholtz. But being that his on-base percentage is lower than you’d like, he’s not a guy I would give up much for, especially since he’s likely to walk after the season.