If your bingo card read, “Pittsburgh Pirates lead the NL Central at the end of April,” give yourself a pat on the back.

The Pirates lead their division by half a game entering play on May 8 as they look to rebound from a pair of 100-loss seasons.

Pittsburgh's biggest strength so far has been its pitching. The Pirates' starting pitching ERA of 4.25 is fairly average, but the Pirates lead MLB with 18 quality starts, meaning the Bucs stay in games and rely on their elite relief core.

The NL Central leaders are second in the league with 13 saves, with just three blown saves, and David Bednar is once again pitching like an All-Star.

He has an 0.64 ERA and is averaging 19 strikeouts per walk (with that single walk being an intentional pass). The club's other top four relievers all have ERAs under 3.25.

Offensively, Pittsburgh has been just good enough. Its 4.66 runs per game are just above league average, and while the Pirates don't hit many home runs, they lead Major League Baseball in stolen bases and are second in doubles.

Notably, they have been successful without the services of rising star shortstop O'Neill Cruz — who is out until at least after the All-Star break with a fractured ankle.

Bryan Reynolds and Andrew McCutchen started the season on a tear, leading the Alleghany boys to a 20-8 record out of the gate before the ballclub entered its current seven-game losing streak.

Fortunately for the Pirates, the franchise currently has a top-10 farm system and significant young talent to barter with.

Let's look at the moves the Pirates must make to stay atop the NL Central.

Add a Catcher

Last season, the Pirates' five catchers combined to bat .202 with three home runs- hardly the pinnacle of performance. This season has not been much better.

Austin Hedges is a fine defensive catcher, as his 55.2% called strike rate leads all backstops this season, per Baseball Savant, but his .140 batting average and 14 strikeouts in 50 at-bats are difficult to overlook.

Jason Delay has been a better hitter off the bench, swatting .383 in 47 ABs, though his Expected Batting Average of .286 suggests that regression is imminent.

A guy like Colorado's Elias Diaz or Detroit's Eric Haase would provide better offensive production while still being solid defensively — all for a relatively affordable price.

Acquire a Veteran Starting Pitcher

Roansy Contreras and Johan Oviedo started the season strong but have struggled over their last few starts.

The Pirates have also been lucky to keep their rotation healthy, that is until Vince Velasquez hit the IL a few days ago.

A high-quality starting pitcher would be crucial for a Pirates team without much rotational depth.

Options here include Eduardo Rodriguez of the Detroit Tigers — who currently sports a 1.81 ERA and a WHIP of 0.78 — and Giants sinkerballer Logan Webb, a righthander who boasts one of the lowest walk rates in MLB.

Bring in a Power Hitter

As mentioned earlier, the Pirates' have not been prolific power hitters this season.

Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker has absolutely crushed the ball this year, leading Major League Baseball in OPS during his first taste as a full-time starter in the show.

He would be a savvy trade target with a much lower price tag than baseball's established stars.

Another potential addition is Angels infielder Anthony Rendon. Once a perennial All-Star with the Nationals, Rendon's underwhelming tenure in Los Angeles has been plagued by injuries.

Yet, the 32-year-old has been much better this season in the fourth year of his seven-year deal. He is a prime trade candidate should the Angels look to break up the Ohtani-Trout duo.