Could a power-hitting infielder from the Chicago White Sox be the Pittsburgh Pirates' third base solution?
The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to look for a third baseman, even though the spring training Grapefruit League has begun.
Since last season ended, the Pirates have been linked to various third basemen both in trades and free agency. They hoped to lure Eugenio Suarez, who hit 49 home runs for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners last season, as a free agent, but he signed with the National League Central rival Cincinnati Reds just before spring training started.
Pittsburgh was also said to be open to trading for the New York Mets’ Brett Baty and Mark Vientos and the Houston Astros’ Isaac Paredes in the days leading up to the opening of spring training. However, a deal did not come to fruition.
While the reports have quieted and the Pirates seem comfortable starting the season with Jared Triolo at third base, another name has emerged as a trade target. That is the Chicago White Sox’s Lenyn Sosa.
Sosa hit a career-high 22 home runs last season but appears to be the odd man out in the White Sox’s infield this year after Chicago signed Japanese star Munetaka Murakami from Nippon Professional Baseball in the offseason.
There were some negative markers from Sosa last year, most notably striking out 127 times and drawing just 18 walks in 544 plate appearances over 140 games. Sosa has also played more second base than third base during his four-year career, in which he has a .246/.274/.390 slash line in 303 games.
However, Sosa’s power surge last season is intriguing, particularly since he is just 26. The right-handed-hitting Sosa is also affordable, as he will make not much over the $780,000 minimum salary this year before becoming eligible for salary arbitration for the first time at the end of the season.
It would likely take a decent prospect to land Sosa, someone like right-hander Khristian Curtis. Baseball America ranks Curtis as Pittsburgh's No. 15 prospect, and the 23-year-old is projected to start the season at Double-A Altoona.
The Pirates might be able to get the White Sox to kick in a minor-leaguer such as right-handed reliever Eric Adler. The 25-year-old was Chicago’s sixth-round draft pick in 2022 and is coming off a season in which he had a 7.12 ERA in 34 games with Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham. However, Adler has 135 strikeouts in 112 2/3 professional innings while allowing just four home runs.
Sosa might not be the third baseman Pittsburgh fans have been hoping for, but he might be a player worth general manager Ben Cherington taking a low-risk gamble on.
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