Headed towards possibly another postseason appearance, the Pittsburgh Pirates are trying to upgrade their lineup by going after Mike Napoli of the Boston Red Sox, who are in a selling kind of mood.
The Red Sox traded Shane Victorino to the Los Angeles Angels, and are now considering moving Napoli, another piece of the 2013 World Series team, that has been hitting quite poorly this season (.209/.306/.377/.683), his third with the team.
Napoli being able to play both first base and catcher is obviously something that helps the Pirates overlook some of his bad numbers. He is a free agent who is still due $6.2 million this season, something the Red Sox might be forced to absorb (partially) as they’re looking to get something out of their second consecutive season of missing the playoffs.
The Pirates currently have Pedro Alvarez, hitting 232/.301/.430, not to mention his poor defensive form. Just like Napoli, he is a one-time All-Star, but his form has dipped quite drastically since 2013, when he hit 36 home runs to lead the National League. The 28-year old is eligible for arbitration at the end of this season, making $5.75 million in 2015.
The Pirates (57-41, 6.5 games behind the Cardinals) are at the moment headed towards playing in the Wild Card game to make it into the playoffs. The Red Sox (44-56) are last in the AL East, not close to clinching anything.