Brent Rooker could be traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates ahead of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to add a bat or two ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, and that could mean dealing for a former All-Star.
According to The Athletic insider Jim Bowden, the Pirates are among the teams linked to Oakland Athletics slugger Brent Rooker.
Rooker was an All-Star last year and he’s having an even better season this year, slashing .294/.369/.585 with 25 home runs and 72 RBIs. The Pirates, Mariners and Red Sox have shown interest in him. He’s under team control through 2027. The A’s have to be overwhelmed to trade him.
The Seattle Mariners have gone to add Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner, making them unlikely to add another bat. The Boston Red Sox could be a threat, but the Pirates have a stronger farm system and the Athletics could look to poach a prospect or two from Pittsburgh in a deal for Rooker.
Rooker, 29, has primarily been a designated hitter this season for the A’s and that would be the role he’d inherit for the Pirates. That would allow Andrew McCutchen to play center field and take some pressure off of Michael A. Taylor and Jack Suwinski to platoon the position as often.
The MLB Trade Deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.