While they’re steadily improving, the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t where they want to be right now ahead of the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline. Stuck in last place of the NL Central with 11.5 games to make up entering play on Monday, the Pirates’ postseason ship has sailed.
No one expects the Pirates to suddenly become trade deadline buyers, but it’s possible we see the front office become active sellers in the next week or so. Chances are, young players are likely off limits, but veterans and others who are signed to short-term contracts? They might be up for grabs.
Yet, that won’t prevent teams from trying to entice the Pirates with strong offers for their players they’d rather not move too. Even if that means parting with All-Star talent.
According to Jon Heyman, the Pirates have been willing to take trade calls on their top arms. This includes starter Mitch Keller and closer David Bednar, who have been linked to trades in the past too.
Yet, even the MLB insider indicates the Pirates are unlikely to part with either player this summer. Unlike in some other scenarios, the front office has no ‘need’ to trade their All-Stars. Both Keller and Bednar are under team control, being arbitration-eligible through at least the 2025 season.
This means there’s no sense of urgency from Pittsburgh’s perspective. If neither is traded, it just means the Pirates can run it back next season, hoping to have a better campaign with both players still on the roster. Basically, teams hoping to land either player will need to present a very strong offer to move the needle ahead of the deadline.
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