The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to look for ways to speed up their rebuild without sacrificing the long-term vision of the organization. While much of the focus remains on internal development, there’s a growing belief that the front office could explore trades to help a young core that has a chance to be among the best in baseball.
The infield has been the talk of the winter, mainly at third base. Until the Pirates go out and do what’s needed on that front, many will continue to question it.
Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now believes the Pirates could look at the New York Mets as a potential trade partner, with Mark Vientos being listed as a name to watch.
“The Pirates could consider adding a right-handed hitting third baseman as the bulk of the expected top hitters in the lineup bat left-handed, so Vientos is a possibility. Vientos shined in 2024 when he hit .266 with an .837 OPS, 27 home runs and 71 RBI in 111 games.
“However, the 26-year-old slashed just .233/.289/.413 with 21 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 61 RBI in 121 games last season. Defense is also a concern. In 72 games at the hot corner in 2025, Vientos committed eight errors, had minus-10 defensive runs saved and minus-7 outs above average. But if the Pirates are confident Vientos can return to his 2024 form, they could live with the lackluster glovework,” he wrote.
Vientos is a good player, but it feels like he’s lost a bit in New York due to what it has in the infield.
The Pirates could afford to live with some defensive struggles if it means putting power into a lineup that has often struggled to score runs. We saw last year that until the offense figures itself out, the Pirates won’t be what they’re trying to be.
Pittsburgh has been careful not to move premium prospects unless the return is great, but I doubt that New York would get much for Vientos at this stage. He feels like a throw-in for a bigger trade that the Mets would want to make.