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Pirates Trade Rumors: Ken Rosenthal Connects Bucs To Carlos Quentin, Shane Victorino

Jul. 2, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin (18) during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Padres defeated the Diamondbacks 6-2.  Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE
Jul. 2, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin (18) during the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Padres defeated the Diamondbacks 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

Ken Rosenthal says the Pirates are "aggressively pursuing hitters" and are interested in Carlos Quentin and Shane Victorino.

The question of what the Pirates would have to give up to get either of these guys looms so large here that it's hard to say much of anything concrete, but I'd love to have either player. Quentin is the better hitter at this point, and he's two years younger than Victorino. He's not a strong defensive player, though, and he's good enough and cheap enough that the Padres won't want to move him just because, the way they did with Ryan Ludwick. I would beware the cost here -- I think it would be a little crazy for the Pirates to pay a steep price in terms of prospects.

Victorino hasn't hit much this year, which might make him a good buy-low candidate, especially since he has a $9.5 million salary that the Pirates can volunteer to pay in order to offset the cost to them in prospects. His BABIP this year is .260, which is very low for a player with his speed. Some of that might genuinely be his power starting to vanish, but if the cost is low, I think he'd be worth taking a flier on, especially since he can help the Pirates defensively as well.