MLB: The surprising player that Pirates could get off the boat, via change

It is very likely that Pittsburgh Pirates make shortstop Kevin Newman becomes available in the exchange market upon exiting the transaction freeze. That’s a bit of a surprise, given that the rebuilding Bucs are probably open to offers to everyone on their roster, except maybe Bryan Reynolds or Ke’Bryan Hayes.

However, it remains to be seen whether Newman would attract enough interest to make a trade worthwhile for a Pittsburgh club with very little certainty in the middle of the frame. The right-handed hitter is coming off a poor offensive performance, with his .226 / .265 / .309 mark registering 46 percentage points below the league average as measured by wRC +:

No other player who scored more than 500 plate appearances did less damage at the plate, although the mere fact that Newman dominated that level of playing time speaks to his contributions on the other side of the ball.

Public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average appreciated his work with gloves, and he was a finalist for the Gold Glove at shortstop.

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Coupled with a modest $ 1.95MM salary, perhaps Newman could attract the interest of teams like the New York Yankees or Minnesota Twins looking for a makeshift opportunity at the job, but his lack of productivity at the plate suggests he’s probably better suited for a utility role with a hopeful contender.