During his weekly appearance on Sunday's edition of Baseball Tonight, ESPN baseball insider Jayson Stark says that the Pirates have emerged as a "serious candidate" in a possible trade for Arizona Diamondbacks superstar outfielder Justin Upton.
Even more surprising is that Stark said that the Pirates could land him without giving up one of their top pitching prospects, Gerrit Cole or Jameson Taillon. He mentions that the D'Backs have a tremendous interest in Pirates outfield prospect Starling Marte, who is the top hitting prospect in the Pittsburgh system.
It would seem as this scenario would be a bit farfetched, as Marte is just 13 months younger than Upton and has yet to play a game in the major leagues. You would have to figure that there would have to be major league players involved on the Pirates' part, which could make a deal a tricky proposition.
For more Pirates trade rumors, check out Bucs Dugout. Still not enough baseball for you? Make sure to visit Baseball Nation for the latest news from all 30 teams.