MLB Rumors: Cubs after Goldschmidt, Braves-Pirates trade, Red Sox help ‘pen

MLB Rumors: Braves could target RP Yohan Ramirez from selling Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the early-season darlings in baseball, surging out of the gates to the top of the division standings and firing on all cylinders. Since then, though, the wheels have come off. The team has just one win in their last 10 games, continuing a trend that has dropped the Buccos to fourth in the division race.

And that all leads to a report on Monday from MLB insider Jon Morosi that the Pirates are going to sell at the deadline.

Enter the Atlanta Braves. Unlike the Pirates, the Braves have the best record in the National League and are a scary World Series contender. Because of that, they are likely to be buyers at the deadline with pitching being the most likely course of action for them to target. And Pittsburgh has some options.

If Atlanta wanted to swing for the fences, they could take a look at David Bednar, a player with three years of club control after this season and who has been one of the best relievers in baseball quietly over the past few years. If they wanted to strengthen the rotation, veteran Rich Hill could be an easy, relatively cheap rental for the Braves to pursue.

However, if the Braves want to make more than one deal, which they should, perhaps they could go for the sleeper option: RHP Yohan Ramirez.

The 28-year-old has been solid with the Pirates this season, appearing in 19 games and posting a 3.00 ERA, though he does have a 1.46 WHIP. He was also sneakily good for Pittsburgh last season too with a 3.67 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over 22 appearances.

Even at his age, Ramirez still has three years of club control left too, which could be huge for the Braves as they’d acquire cheap help to bolster the bullpen for the 2023 season and moving forward, but doing so without the name-brand price of someone like Bednar.

Of course, if there’s a good deal for Bednar on the table, then he’s a better option than Ramirez — that just seems unlikely given the situation.