MLB Rumors: Would Pittsburgh Pirates Consider Dan Haren?

As the winter meetings start for Major League Baseball teams on Monday, there are going to be a ton of rumors floating around with where certain players may land. There is a mid-market team out there who is on the verge of something if they could just get past another second-half slump in the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates should be active and a good start for them would be Dan Haren to shore up a very weak rotation that has become a major problem.

If Pittsburgh could go out and get a pitcher like Haren and fit him in around A.J. Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez, the Pirates could have something cooking. Pittsburgh fans haven’t seen a playoff game since 1992 and the fans did start coming out last season when the team got good, filling up PNC Park in numbers not seen since the ballpark opened. If the Pirates can go out and get another pitcher like Haren to go along with him, it could become a very special season in Pittsburgh.

The National League Central isn’t one that is terribly difficult outside of the Cincinnati Reds right now and could be there for the taking if Pittsburgh can make some more moves and get their offense to continue doing what it has been with Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker leading the way along with free agent pickup Russell Martin. It’s just a matter of when and not if for the Pirates in making that next step now. I think that 2013 will be the year that changes things for Pittsburgh and sees a playoff berth.

Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports or like his Facebook page.