Alex Rios continues to be a hot name being brought up as the trade deadline nears. Most speculation has Rios being traded to either the New York Yankees or Pittsburgh Pirates by the end of the day, however, any trade would require Rios to waive his no-trade clause in order to complete it.
Most likely, Alex Rios is willing to waive his no-trade if he has the opportunity to move to a contender. The funny part is that the Pirates are actually a better contender right now then the Yankees. The Yankees still have talent, but they find themselves fighting to contend in the American League East with the Red Sox, Orioles, and Rays, who have recently been the hottest team in baseball, ahead of them.
For the Pirates, a trade for Alex Rios would be significant. It would add yet another solid bat to their lineup, which already has Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez playing at All-Star levels. The Pirates have a chance to make a nice run in the postseason. After years living in the basement of their division, they have finally made it to the point where a veteran like Alex Rios may want to be traded to them to have a chance to win.
Today will be a significant day for both the Pirates and the Yankees, and Alex Rios may be the golden ticket to help one of these teams make a run in October.
