Jul. 8—Wednesday’s 14-3 Pirates loss to the Atlanta Braves featured another multi-hit day for All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier.
Pirates fans better enjoy those moments while they can because there likely won’t be too many games between the All-Star Game next week and the July 30 trade deadline before the team deals Frazier.
With a .326 batting average (fourth in MLB), a major league-leading 109 hits and 25 doubles (tied for fourth), the 29-year-old Gold Glove finalist should be a hot commodity. Just about any contender could find a reason to acquire him.
However, two organizations seem to be popping up as rumored destinations more than anyone else: the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago White Sox.
Not only are those teams currently in the thick of pennant races, but they are also dealing with injuries that Frazier could offset.
In San Francisco, second baseman Tommy La Stella has been sidelined since early May because of a hamstring strain. And while he was rehabbing, he fractured a thumb. La Stella is supposed to be back sometime before the trade deadline. But if injuries continue to be a concern, the Giants (54-32) may want Frazier as insurance.
La Stella isn’t San Francisco’s only health problem. Buster Posey, Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria are dealing with various degrees of injuries as well.
It’s a similar story on the south side of Chicago with the White Sox (51-35). They are on top of the American League Central despite a rash of injuries. Second baseman Nick Madrigal is done for the year after tearing a hamstring. Outfielders Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert have been out. And catcher Yasmani Grandal just went down for four to six weeks with a knee injury.
Last week, MLB insider Jon Heyman told 93.7 The Fan that one player the Pirates could get in return is former White Sox top prospect Andrew Vaughn. The first baseman was the No. 3 pick in the 2019 draft, and MLB ranked him the 14th-best prospect before this season began.
While the New York Yankees are also believed to be in the mix, Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein joined the “Breakfast With Benz” podcast Thursday and said the Giants and White Sox still make the most sense. And she said there are many reasons the White Sox could be the prime trade partner for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington.
“They’ve been so hit by injuries,” Apstein said. “I’m not sure how long that window is (open for the White Sox). So I think it makes a lot of sense to go in big right now. Especially since the National League seems more dangerous in the playoffs than the American League.
“There is no ‘super team’ in the American League, really. If the White Sox want to be that team, I think they would have a chance to steamroll everybody and make it into the World Series. Whereas if the Dodgers and the Padres are maybe beating up on each other, I think the White Sox would have a clearer path if they wanted to make a big add like Frazier.”
However, Apstein isn’t onboard with the idea of trading fellow All-Star Bryan Reynolds just yet. Of course, that’s unless someone tries to knock off Cherington’s socks with a monster offer.
“Someone should (try),” Apstein said. “But I think the Pirates should try to hold onto him. He’s the kind of guy you might try to build around.”
As for Sunday’s draft, Apstein claims all signs continue to point at high school shortstop Marcelo Mayer as the Pirates’ target with the No. 1 overall pick.
“It seems like Marcelo Mayer is going to be the guy,” Apstein said. “It seems like they are looking at hitters. Prep hitters. And he is certainly a hotshot. He is a pretty polished hitter for his age. I think there is a feeling he is going to be the guy.”
Also in Thursday’s podcast, Apstein has some ideas as to where star pitcher Jack Leiter may wind up if the Pirates pass on him. We examine the curious case of this weekend’s opponent for the Pirates—the New York Mets. And we analyze the fallout from MLB’s “sticky stuff” controversy.
Listen: Tim Benz and Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated talk about the Pirates’ potential trade partners and draft approach.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.