Next up on the magic turning trademobile, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been scouting Hunter Pence.
↵I know, right? Isn't it crazy to think the Pirates would be trading FOR players instead of trading them away? But, it does appear that the Pirates are trying to do something to bolster their big league team. Of course, there is no guarantee that the Astros would be looking to move Pence, but if they did, Pittsburgh would make an interesting trade partner.
↵Part of that stems from picking at the top of the draft for all those years. Pittsburgh has some pretty high-level talent, though don't expect Houston to get back a player like The Woodlands native Jameson Taillon. Look for guys like Tim Alderson, Eric Fryer, Alex Presley or some other players as possible trade chits.
↵The question is, what's Pence worth? Would the Astros want to trade in division to the Pirates, when he could haunt Houston for at least the next two years and possibly longer? Who knows if new prospective owner Jim Crane will feel the same way that Drayton has about trading within the division.
↵We've got a long time to go until the July 31 deadline, but suffice it to say this won't be the first story where vultures circle the Astros to pick at the bones of this last-place team.
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