Skip to content

3 team needs for the Pirates leading up to the trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a good team. 

Can they be great? That's up to ownership and general manager Neal Huntington.

The Pirates were a great team last year, winning the third-most games in the National League and securing a berth in the postseason for the first time since 1992.

Never mind that the Bucs lost in five games to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS; that defeat was supposed to represent the heartbreak every up-and-coming team experiences before taking the next step.

And then A.J. Burnett signed with Philadelphia, Francisco Liriano regressed, and Gerritt Cole couldn't stay healthy.

That hardly barks optimism - yet here we are, nearly two-thirds of the way through the season, and the Pirates are seven games over .500 and three back of the division lead entering weekend play.

But there are areas the team could stand to address in an effort to go from good to great, and here are three of them:

1. Starting pitching - and lots of it

Pittsburgh's starting pitchers have generated the fewest wins above replacement in the majors and rank 10th among NL rotations in ERA and WHIP.

Veteran right-hander Charlie Morton has been the glue that holds this staff together, leading the club in strikeouts and innings pitched. Morton, however, is a mid-rotation arm at best and an unlikely candidate to carry this club down the stretch.

That honor was supposed to be bestowed upon Cole, the second-year flamethrower who posted a 2.91 FIP and 1.17 WHIP across 19 starts last season. The 23-year-old is on the disabled list for the second time this year and isn't expected back until early August.

Whereas Milwaukee is in need of top-of-the-rotation help, Pittsburgh simply needs quality innings. The Pirates like to keep a lean payroll, so expect the club to target second-to-third tier arms preferably of the rental variety.

2. Platoon partner for Gregory Polanco

There's a lot to like about the top-ranked prospect Polanco; he's 22 years old and hits right-handers well. His lefty splits? Not so good (.136/.191/.205 over 47 plate appearances).

Targeting a power bat such as Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd would serve the Pirates well, given his modest $8 million annual salary over the next two seasons. Byrd's 19 homers would lead the Pirates and his splits compliment Polanco's strong side as well. 

Huntington could also target a cheaper alternative in Minnesota Twins slugger and pending free agent Josh Willingham if the Pirates believe he could bounce back with a change of scenery.

3. Bullpen help

If the Pirates don't acquire an impact arm, it stands to reason they would benefit from reinforcements in the 'pen. Adding another quality reliever or two would help shorten the game and reduce their reliance on some of their back-end staff options.

Pittsburgh attempted to address its late-inning needs by swapping Jason Grilli for Ernesto Frieri, but the former closer is struggling (six runs allowed in seven innings). If there's one particular weakness in the Pirates bullpen, it's a lack of strikeouts. Targeting a reliever with swing-and-miss potential makes the most sense.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox