Earlier today we heard that the Pirates were one of at least three teams to inquire about shortstop Stephen Drew of the Diamondbacks (Fox Sports Link). That report was later refuted by ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter Link), but it begs the question: do the Pirates need an upgrade at short?
It's not an overstatement to say that Pirates shortstops have been atrocious offensively this season. Clint Barmes has been in an endless slump and is hitting a dismal .205/.229/.292. Overall, Pirates shortstops have a combined .515 OPS this year, worst in the majors. The problem with Stephen Drew is that he doesn't really represent any kind of offensive upgrade. He missed nearly a year with an ankle injury and has hit .192/.246/.250 since his return. Furthermore, Barmes' fielding has been good this year with a 5.4 UZR, meaning a replacement would have to be good enough to counter Barmes' defensive value.
There just aren't a lot of available trade options at short, either. Marco Scutaro might be a mild offensive improvement, but his defense has been average at best and much of his time has come at second base. Jimmy Rollins would be an improvement. He sports a 2.5 WAR and is a solid defender. His hitting would be an improvement as well, though his line of .258/.314/.417 is far below his career average. The big stumbling block with Rollins would be his contract, as he signed a hefty 3-yr/$33 million contract to re-join the Phillies this offseason. That's a lot of money for the small-market Pirates to pay an aging shortstop.
I think most Pirates fans would agree that the team could use a boost at short, but there just aren't a lot of good options right now. If you trade Barmes, you have to either rely on Jordy Mercer or Chase D'Arnaud next year or overpay for a mediocre free agent like with Barmes this year. I'm afraid to say it, but Barmes, with his quality defense, might be the most sensible option.
One possibility I'd consider: see if Toronto is willing to sell and inquire about Yunel Escobar. Toronto is only 3.5 games back in the Wild Card race, but they are in the basement of the AL East and have had a slew of bad injuries. Escobar has been a terrific defender this year, posting an impressive 7.2 UZR and, though his offensive numbers are down, his .249/.294/.335 line represents a clear upgrade over Barmes. His contract is similar to that of Barmes, so somebody would likely need to be moved in the offseason if Barmes could not be traded at the deadline or in August if he clears waivers.
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