Pirates trade rumor on $313.5M slugger who'd be perfect fit is not what fans will want to hear

The Pittsburgh Pirates are having a much better 2026 season than many of their past few years. Paul Skenes is pitching like a Cy Young winner once again, and Konnor Griffin and some of the offseason acquisitions have been great.

However, there's still room for the Pirates to improve this season. One of the ways they could do so is through a trade for a slugger to improve their offense from the designated hitter or first base spot.

While there might be a very intriguing superstar available for trade, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report gave the Pirates fanbase some bad news on their odds to land a $313.5 million star who'd be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh.

"Because of Paul Skenes and Konnor Griffin, Devers could fade into the background more in Pittsburgh than he could in most other places," Rymer writes. "That life would probably suit him, so it's a shame the club's payroll seems beyond maxed out."

Despite San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers seeming like a great fit in Pittsburgh, the team's payroll limitations mean that this potential trade isn't likely. This is obvious, not what fans will want to hear.

Pirates trade rumor on Rafael Devers is bleak for fans

While it's well known that the Pirates aren't big spenders, it's still a massive shame that a player who could be such a great fit, like Devers, isn't a realistic target.

If the payroll wasn't an issue, the Pirates might be one of the clearest best landing spots for Devers in a potential trade. He'd instantly improve the offense and be a great compliment to Griffin, Brandon Lowe, Ryan O'Hearn, and Oneil Cruz.

MORE: Three ways Pirates' Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award

San Francisco is going through some struggles this season, and very well could move on from Devers this season by the trade deadline if things continue to go south, and a team offers a good package for the superstar slugger.

But his $313.5 million deal is a lot of money for any team to invest in Devers, especially for a team like the Pirates that has been conservative with its spending in recent years.

As great a fit as Devers would be for this Pirates team, Rymer's point has to be taken into account, and very likely means that the Pirates are not a realistic suitor for Devers in a trade, despite how perfect he'd be for this team.

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