By now, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ interest in Jon Lester has widely been reported.
But the ace might not be the only Boston Red Sox player the Buccos have their eyes on.
The Pirates also have interest in relievers Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller, left-handed starter/reliever Felix Doubront, outfielder Jonny Gomes, first baseman/outfielder Mike Carp and third baseman Will Middlebrooks, any of whom reportedly could be packaged in a deal involving Lester, John Perrotto of the Beaver County Times reported Tuesday.
Pittsburgh would be willing to send a “significant” package of prospects back the Red Sox’s way, a club source told Perrotto, who also reported that the package could include big leaguers Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez if Boston is willing to part with players who are not in the final year of their contracts. Doubront, Carp and Middlebrooks fit this criteria.
Carp has requested a trade, and Doubront has said he would be open to one after being relegated to the bullpen.
The Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber noted Tuesday that the Pirates showed some interest in Carp last offseason, and Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that the team has “interest in members of Boston’s bullpen.”
Since Lester, who was scratched from his Wednesday start, likely would be only a rental in Pittsburgh, Perrotto’s source said the Pirates are not willing to offer their top prospects — right-handers Tyler Glasnow, Nick Kingham and Jameson Taillon, catcher Reese McGuire and outfielders Josh Bell and Austin Meadows — in a deal for the lefty.
This runs contrary, however, to an earlier Yahoo! Sports report, which states that Bell, a switch-hitting 21-year-old currently at Double-A, is at the center of the negotiations. Biertempfel also reported that the package could include both Bell and Glasnow, who has a 1.75 ERA this season in 17 starts at High-A Bradenton.
The non-waiver trade deadline is 4 p.m. Thursday.
