Pirates/MLB
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pirates have checked in on both pitchers
The Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants both have two high level scouts in attendance watching tonight’s pitching matchup between David Price and Jon Lester, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reports.
#SFGiants, #Pirates each have two high-level scouts watching Price-Lester tonight in St. Petersburg.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2014
Per a club source, one of the high ranking officials scouting the Rays – Red Sox tonight is Marc DelPiano, who is one of Neal Huntington’s closest associates that Huntington sends out for serious scouting matters.
The Pirates have looked into both pitchers over various points of the last couple months. GM Neal Huntington flirted with the idea of acquiring Price at the Winter Meetings and did so again in June, a club official said. Price has one year left on his contract and the Pirates have the prospects to match up well in a trade if they truly wanted to make a serious play for Price and the same for Lester. Chances of Pittsburgh making a late play for Price is unlikely.
The team, though, has been linked more closely with Lester as team officials have been scouting the Red Sox for weeks and have looked into what the cost would be.
Lester, 30, is 10-7 with a 2.43 ERA. He is a free agent at seasons end and would immediately become the Pirates No. 1 starter.
Jayson Stark of ESPN reported last night on Baseball Tonight that the Red Sox have considered the possibility of acquiring Cole Hamels and then moving Lester at the trade deadline.
