The Pittsburgh Pirates are getting underway with the second half of their season and the trade deadline is fast approaching. The Pirates currently sit at fourth in the NL Central division with a 50-47 record, but are only 1.5 games back from a Wild Card berth. The Pirates are in a prime position to add to their squad and the fans at Bucs Dugout echo that, with 90% of the fans voting that the Pirates should buy at the trade deadline this season.
For the first time in a long time it looks like the Pirates
may actually add to their roster instead of doing some aggressive house cleaning. With their current record and the deadline coming on August 3, the Buccos should look to add some pieces to put them over the top as the Wild Card race starts to heat up. The Milwaukee Brewers are firmly set in first place for now, but otherwise the division is very much within striking distance for the plucky Pirates.
The question now is would the Pirates try and target in a trade. Brandon Lowe has been a piece that has been brought up in trade rumors all season, but they are especially ramping up after his All-Star snub. With the emergence of Esmerlyn Valdez and Ryan O’Hearn being key contributors, several have speculated if Spencer Horwitz could now be a piece that gets moved. Then of course there’s Carmen Mlodzinski who famously backslid after his move to the bullpen from the rotation and causing some friction in the clubhouse. Does he get moved strictly off of morale and team culture being threatened?
When it comes to who the Pirates should be targeting, a big time reliever would be nearly unanimous in wants and needs from this fanbase. A reunion with Aroldis Chapman was rumored but the Boston Red Sox are surging now and may not be willing to give up that piece like they could’ve been earlier in the year. It would take a complete package but the idea of trading for Mason Miller has circulated online recently, but again the Padres are not in a terrible position themselves. Andrew Filliponi of 93.7 The Fan suggested that the Pirates target some lefty pitching, and threw out names like Kyle Freeland and Jeffrey Springs as possible candidates. Both the Rockies and the Athletics are almost certainly going to be looking to sell at the deadline.
FanDuel SportsBook currently gives the Pirates +245 odds to make the postseason, but also has a line giving the Pirates -345 odds to miss the playoffs altogether. No need to sugarcoat it, these are the best odds for the Pirates to make the playoffs in a decade. The Pirates should be looking to buy and add at the deadline versus cleaning up shop and getting ready for next season.
Who do yinz think the Pirates should try and trade for? Let us know in the comments!
