The Pittsburgh Pirates made one of the first big splashes of trade season, acquiring third baseman Aramis Ramirez from the division rival Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for minor league pitcher Yhonathan Barrios. This will help keep them afloat while Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison are both out with injuries, as Pittsburgh desperately needed an infielder to help replace their production. The Pirates remain six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who are atop the National League Central even though the Buccos are an impressive 15 games over .500. They do, however, hold one of the NL’s two Wild Card spots.
The 37-year-old Ramirez has been to three All-Star games (all with Milwaukee) and is returning to the team where he spent the first six seasons of his career. His best year for the Pirates was in 2001, when Ramirez hit 34 home runs and drove in 112 runs. Ramirez has stated that he would be retiring after the season, so it’s set in stone that he will be finishing his career where it started.
But there’s work to be done before retirement is official. This season, Ramirez is hitting .247 with 11 home runs and 42 RBI, but has been showing signs of a breakout as of late, hitting .385 over his past seven ballgames.
With the Pirates all-in on the playoff picture and still looking to go after the division crown, below is secondary market ticket information provided by TiqIQ.com for Pirates tickets remaining this month, where Ramirez will try to make an impact right away.
7/24/2015 | Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals | PNC Park | Average Price: $117.25 | Get-in Price: $38
7/25/2015 | Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals | PNC Park | Average Price: $92.69 | Get-in Price: $30
7/26/2015 | Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Washington Nationals | PNC Park | Average Price: $75.46 | Get-in Price: $22
Ramirez will face a tough first test when the Nationals come to PNC Park for a three-game set. With get-in prices at $30 or less for two of the games, out-of-town Pirates fans can see his debut with the team by using Hipmunk.com to book Pittsburgh flights provided by most major airline carriers. With the possible NL MVP in Bryce Harper and potential NL Cy Young Award winner in Max Scherzer, each game will be baseball at its highest quality, especially Friday night when Scherzer toes the rubber for the Nats. For those fans who desire making the trek, create a baseball vacation with hotel deals on Hipmunk for affordable choices in the Pittsburgh area.
7/30/2015 | Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates | Great American Ball Park | Average Price: $25 | Get-in Price: $3
7/31/2015 | Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates | Great American Ball Park | Average Price: $40 | Get-in Price: $3
The Reds will look to play spoiler to the Pirates, as the MLB All-Star Game host will welcome Pittsburgh into the friendly confines of the Great American Ball Park. With get-in prices of only $3, it’s another great opportunity to see the Pirates’ playoff push for cheap, and as a bonus, it comes against a division rival in a hitter’s park, which could lead to a considerable amount of runs scored throughout the series.
