Pirates center fielder Starling Marte isn’t a perfect player, but he’s a very good one. And he’s now within two seasons of free agency, with the Bucs looking increasingly unlikely to contend before that time comes. The 31-year-old ought to have plenty of appeal, given that he can be controlled through 2021 for just $24MM (and perhaps issued a qualifying offer thereafter). Marte doesn’t draw walks and hasn’t quite reached the ceiling it once seemed he was headed for, but he’s a well-above-average hitter who runs the bases with aplomb and defends well. He has played like a first-division regular since cracking the majors and was his usual self in 2019 before a wrist injury ended his season.

Beyond a neutral value perspective, the market particulars seem to line up well for the Pirates to achieve an appealing return. Free agent options are generally uninspiring. And there are plenty of teams that have good reason to show interest. Here are the most interesting possible suitors (in alphabetical order):