The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting to make a habit of starting the season hot. The club went 20-9 in April last year before posting a 56-77 record the rest of the way en route to a fourth-place finish in the NL Central. This year, Pittsburgh got off to a similarly fast start, going 11-5 over their first four series. The inevitable decline came, but Pittsburgh weathered the storm, and a six-game winning streak in July got the team back above .500.
The Pirates are now only 2.0 games back from the final Wild Card spot. With the MLB trade deadline just over a day away, what will Pittsburgh's strategy be? Will the team aggressively push for its first playoff series since 2013, or play it safe and look to contend in 2025? These are two bold trade deadline predictions for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pittsburgh acquires one of the top remaining outfielders on the trade block
While top outfield targets like Jazz Chisholm and Randy Arozarena are off the market, several solid options remain for a Pirates team in desperate need of offensive production. The Pittsburgh outfield is 25th in WAR and 26th in OPS — even with two-time All-Star Bryan Reynolds posting a 3.0 WAR.
One player the Pirates should target is Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward. Ward is one of the unluckiest hitters in baseball and is amid a slump that has seen him hit just .175 over the last two months. But the Angels outfielder is in the 89th percentile in barrel rate, the 82nd percentile in expected slugging, and the 95th percentile in chase rate (all per Baseball Savant). His BABIP of .276 over the last two seasons is ridiculously low for a player with a 43.6% hard-hit rate during that span. He is due for a breakout campaign.
Another bat the club will consider is Lane Thomas of the Washington Nationals. Thomas quietly finished last season with 36 doubles, 28 homers, and 2o stolen bases. He is more speed than power this year (eight homers and 28 stolen bases in 77 games), but the 28-year-old is still hitting the ball well to the gaps, as evidenced by his 16 doubles — a sign that more power is still untapped.
Neither player is particularly old, and both come with at least one more year of team control, making them perfect additions for a Pirates club in need of outfield upgrades.
The Pirates make an addition to a strong starting rotation
In a thin year for the trade market and a young team, the Pirates will not want to go all in on winning this season. But Pittsburgh will still want to make upgrades at several positions. Adding hitters is key, and the team will want to add depth to its starting rotation. Jared Jones and Bailey Falter are both on the IL, while Martin Perez has struggled, posting a 5.20 ERA across 83 innings pitched.
With the Texas Rangers beginning to clear shop, Andrew Heaney is one pitcher who could be available to Pittsburgh. Heaney has a misleading 4-10 record (the 10 defeats being the most in the AL), as he has a 3.77 ERA, a low walk rate, and a high chase rate. Four of his losses this season have come in games where he pitched at least five innings and allowed three or fewer earned runs. With Martin Perez as the only lefty in the Pirates starting rotation, upgrading their lefty arms is crucial for a club that leans on its pitching.
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