The Pirates’ Top 5 Third Base Trade Targets

Baty would be the best third base trade target the Pirates could pursue. He is still an entire season away from arbitration, so the Pirates would have a for-sure answer at the hot corner for multiple more seasons. Baty can provide some much-needed power, as his .181 isolated slugging percentage was the ninth best among third basemen with 400+ plate appearances. Plus, the Pirates wouldn’t have to worry about the defense at third base. The only thing that doesn’t make this a potential fit is the price, but Pittsburgh could still get a deal done without dealing one of Konnor Griffin, Bubba Chandler, or Seth Hernandez.

2. Isaac Paredes

Isaac Paredes is the Pirates’ most divisive trade target. Last year, he hit .254/.352/.458 with a .353 wOBA and 128 wRC+ with the Houston Astros. It only took him 438 plate appearances to hit 20 home runs. Paredes’ 11.4% walk rate and 17.4% strikeout rate mark the fourth year in a row he’s had a BB% over 10% and a K% under 20%. It is also the fourth year in a row that Paredes has had a wRC+ of 115 or better.

Defensively, Paredes graded out as below average at third base. He had -4 DRS and -3 OAA. However, he has had better seasons in the past. From 2022 through 2024, Paredes owned +5 DRS and +1 OAA over 2,403 innings at third base. He has experience at both first base and second base, but third base is his best position.

Some worry if Paredes’ heavy pulled flyball approach may not work at PNC Park, but he still has good enough road splits, so as long as he is playable at PNC, he’ll be fine for the Bucs. He also draws enough walks to put up a good OBP without many strikeouts. Paredes is also under control through the 2027 season, so he can help the Pirates for the next two years.

3. Mark Vientos

Our second New York Mets corner infielder, Mark Vientos, batted just .233/.289/.413 last season with 17 long balls over 463 plate appearances. He struck out just under a quarter of the time, with a 24.8% K%, and walked at a sub-par 6.5% rate. Vientos did have a strong 91.4 MPH exit velocity and 11.5% barrel rate, but that’s about where the positives end for his season. Overall, he had just a 97 wRC+.

However, he isn’t far removed from an outstanding 2024 season at the plate. During that year, Vientos slashed .266/.322/.516 with 27 homers in 454 trips to the dish. While he still had an unimpressive 7.3% walk rate and 29.7% K%, his ISO of .249 was the 11th best among batters with 450+ PAs. Vientos finished the year with 132 wRC+, which was the 3rd best among third basemen. Vientos’ 14.1% barrel rate was also better in ‘24 than in ‘25.

Nobody on this list has ever had as good a year at the plate as Vientos did in 2024. In terms of raw power, not much has changed since 2024 either. If he can get back to that level, the Pirates could have a top-tier slugger at third base through the 2029 campaign. However, the Pirates would be taking a notable risk by trading for Vientos. The Pirates have to get a rebound season from him, given how poor his defense at third base is. He has -16 DRS and -13 OAA at third over the last two years. However, there is some clear upside here.

4. Alec Bohm

Alec Bohm turned in a respectable .287/.331/.401 triple-slash with a 105 wRC+ with the Philadelphia Phillies last year. Bohm has never walked very often and had a 5.8% BB% in ‘25. On the plus side, he also usually has a low K%, and clocked in at 16.3% in 2025. He only hit 11 home runs in 504 trips to the plate, leading to a .123 ISO, but he has hit better in the past.

In 2024, Bohm slashed .280/.332/.448. While he still kept up a similar 6.6% BB% and 14.2% K%, he hit 15 home runs over 606 plate appearances, with an above-average .168 ISO. His .335 wOBA and 113 wRC+ were both career bests, outside of the shortened 2020 campaign. 2024 was also the second season in a row he had an xwOBA of at least .340, coming in at .341. Bohm has developed into a playable defender at third base, but he still doesn’t have a particularly strong glove.

Bohm is in much of the same boat at Vientos: a bat-first corner infielder looking to hit more like he did in 2024 than in 2025. However, Bohm doesn’t come with the same ceiling as Vientos and is a free agent after 2026. On the plus side, that means he’ll cost less in terms of prospect cost, and he was still a slightly above-average hitter in 2025. However, on the downside, the Pirates need offense, and Bohm brings less of that than Vientos.

5. CJ Abrams

CJ Abrams has now strung together two solid seasons at the plate with nearly identical numbers. In 2025, he hit .257/.315/.433 over 635 trips to the dish. He slugged 19 dingers while posting a .176 ISO. Abrams did not walk at a high rate, of just 5.8%, but had a solid 19.7% K%. He may have some questionable peripherals, like a .316 xwOBA. However, his lefty pull-hitting tendencies could help him hit more home runs in PNC Park. Plus, he has now put up a wRC+ below 90 in two straight seasons at Nationals Park, while having a wRC+ of at least 125 when on the road.

While Abrams has never played third base professionally, moving off shortstop in the near future seems like an inevitability. Defensive runs saved does not hate his glovework at the middle infield position. He has -6 DRS over 4,308 1/3 innings, and has graded out positively in the stat in both 2023 and 2024. UZR/150 holds him in the highest regard, at +1.8 for his career. However, his range is poor, to say the least. Since making his debut in 2022, Abrams has -45 outs above average, with -28 over the last two years. That is the least in baseball over the last four campaigns. The next closest is Nick Castellanos, with -35 OAA in right field.

The reason Abrams comes in at fifth is the fact that the Pirates haven’t been strongly connected to him. Many have pinned him as a good fit for the Bucs. But nothing indicates the Pirates themselves have shown any substantial interest in Abrams. Plus, he would have to move to a position he has never played before, even if it is a better fit for his defense. Still, Abrams would fit PNC Park well, and give the Pirates a power/speed threat, making him someone the Pirates should show some legitimate interest in.