The Pittsburgh Pirates are shopping Garrett Jones. The Baltimore Orioles are looking for a power bat. There are a lot of articles coming out about the Orioles possibly being interested in Jones. It’s hard to tell if these are based on any actual discussions, or if it’s a case of people connecting the dots. The Orioles want a power bat and could trade pitching to get that. The Pirates have a power bat and want pitching. It’s a perfect match, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the teams are actually talking, or the Orioles are actually interested.
Then again, that’s totally what it could mean. Here are two quotes from reporters in both towns, with the bold part for my emphasis.
Rob Biertempfel had the following to say:
The Orioles are seeking a bat with some pop, and might be interested in Garrett Jones. Baltimore could dangle some pitching, such Zach Britton, Jake Arrieta and/or reliever Pedro Strop.
Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore had something very similar:
There’s another name that’s been making the rounds Monday morning, and that’s Garrett Jones.
Jones is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first baseman, and the always budget-conscious Bucs could be looking to move him.
[CLIP]
The arbitration-eligible Jones is due a big bump this year, and Pittsburgh could be interested in a combination of some of the Orioles young pitchers: Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton or Pedro Strop.
What stands out to me here is that you have reporters from both sides naming the exact same players. That could still be speculation, but it seems too coincidental and points more towards a rumor that is floating around in Nashville. I don’t think we can take much away from this, except that the Orioles and Pirates are a match, and that they might be interested in each other. It still seems more like connecting the dots, but it’s an interesting situation to keep in mind this week.
