The Pittsburgh Pirates have been linked to a significant trade.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been up and down thus far in 2026, and while they entered play on Thursday above .500 at 16-15, they were in last place in the NL Central.
Of course, the Pirates are still very much in playoff contention, and that is thanks much in part to a bolstered lineup that ranks 11th in the majors in batting average and 19th in OPS.
There is obviously room for improvement, though, so Pittsburgh should absolutely be scouring the market for bats between now and the trade deadline.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently ran a piece outlining eight early predictions ahead of the August deadline, and the Pirates perusing the league for more hitters was one of them.
Miller named a few potential candidates for Pittsburgh, but one in particular grabbed attention: Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler.
Soler is in the final year of his contract, so if the Angels fall out of contention as most anticipate, he could become available in the coming months.
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler. Credit: USA TODAY Network.The 34-year-old is slashing .235/.331/.461 with six home runs and 23 RBI over 121 plate appearances this season and has always been a pretty solid power hitter, only a lifetime .458 SLG and a very respectable .786 OPS.
Inconsistency has been one of the hallmarks of Soler's career, however, as he has largely been an every-other-year player much of the time. Case in point, the slugger managed a .680 OPS in 82 games last season and appears to be on track to have a much stronger showing here in 2026.
That's good news for the Pirates, who could absolutely use a player like Soler considering how bad Marcell Ozuna has been in the DH role thus far.
Soler is making $13 million this season, and while Pittsburgh has historically been known for staunchly watching its payroll, owner Bob Nutting has been willing to loosen his purse strings to placate Paul Skenes this yer.
Soler — who won World Series MVP with the Atlanta Braves back in 2021 — probably would not cost too much in terms of prospect capital, so the Buccos may be able to land him on the cheap.
If the Pirates continue making a postseason push, Soler could represent a very realistic addition for the club.
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