The Pittsburgh Pirates are rumored to be changing their MLB trade deadline plans. The team is looking to add offense with the surprise success of Bucs pitchers Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, per the Athletic.
The Pirates have long struggled in the National League, with just a handful of winning seasons in the last 30 years. The team's front office is thinking some more strong bats in the lineup will help the team contend for the playoffs this year and moving forward. The Pirates are explicitly looking for outfielders, per the outlet. Pittsburgh has a 31-34 record this season heading into Tuesday's action.
Pirates pitching this year
The Buccos have found an ace in Paul Skenes, who was an overall no. 1 MLB draft pick in 2023. Skenes has put in some memorable performances already in his first year on the mound. Skenes whiffed 11 Chicago Cubs batters in a game earlier this season. He also memorably threw hard at the Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, striking out the slugger on three consecutive pitches of more than 100 mph.
On the season, Skenes has a 3.00 ERA. He also has a 3-0 record in five appearances for the team. The former LSU baseball hurler has quickly become a fan favorite in the Steel City, attracting large crowds for every mound appearance.
The Pirates have another solid hurler in Jared Jones. Jones is another young gun on the mound, playing his first MLB season this year. He has a 3.27 ERA on the campaign. He has appeared in 13 games for Pittsburgh, with a 4-5 record. He famously struck out 10 batters for the Bucs in a powerful performance against the Colorado Rockies in early May. He threw a one-hitter in that game, working seven innings. Jones did struggle in his last appearance, giving up 3 runs in five innings to the Minnesota Twins.
The team feels that with these two young hurlers alongside Mitch Keller, the team is close to being able to contend.
Pirates' season
Pittsburgh started out the year with such promise. The team rattled off five consecutive wins to start the season, but soon faded. The team is struggling to get to .500 on the campaign heading into a game Tuesday. The Pirates are last in the NL Central.
The Pirates have long had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, so fans shouldn't expect big names to be added at the deadline. The team, however, is looking to get some upgrades in the outfield, from what they have now. One Pirate rumored to be on the move before the deadline is reliever Aroldis Chapman, who joined the team this past offseason. Time will tell what the Buccos decide to do. Fans hope whatever changes get made help the team. The Pirates have long had a history of dealing away players that fans have loved, with little success given in return.
The Pirates battle the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday. The game starts at 7:45 PM Eastern.
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