The New York Post thinks the Yankees could be a potential trade partner for the Pirates, who will find themselves in need of a catcher after declining their options on Ryan Doumit and Chris Snyder. The Yankees could send Francisco Cervelli, who the Pirates reportedly nearly traded for a few months ago, to the Bucs.
↵↵↵The Pirates have prioritized finding a catcher this offseason, which could make them a match with the Yankees. The Yankees are expected to keep Russell Martin, who cannot be a free agent until after the 2012 season, and try to make Jesus Montero his primary backup.
↵The Yankees can dangle Austin Romine, but they would like to put him at Triple-A as an option in case Montero cannot handle major league catching.
↵The Yankees would definitely trade Francisco Cervelli, but will the Pirates or any other team look at him as a potential starter and also feel he is a safe acquisition after incurring a series of concussions?
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Cervelli is probably better than the Pirates' current options, but that isn't saying much. The scouting reports on his defense aren't particularly good, and while his sketchy track record gives the impression he's not totally worthless with the bat, he's not especially good with it, either. I would certainly be happy with Cervelli as a backup. As a starter, not so much. I wouldn't want the Pirates to give up anyone good to get him.
↵Romine was in Class AA last year and didn't hit particularly well, so he wouldn't be someone who could step in right away. Given that the Pirates already had Tony Sanchez at Class AA last year, it seems unlikely that they'd trade for Romine.
↵For more on the Pirates, check out Bucs Dugout.