Report: Pirates expect to trade veterans if losing continues
The Pittsburgh Pirates could be one of the biggest sellers at the deadline should they continue their downward spiral.
After occupying first place for most of April, the Pirates now sit two games under .500 and fourth in the National League Central. With six weeks to go until the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Pirates are reportedly expected to make their veteran players available if they're unable to pull themselves closer to a postseason position, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com.
General manager Neal Huntington proved no player is untradeable after moving both Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole during the offseason. Still, the Pirates have a number of intriguing pieces that could be attractive to other teams, including infielder Josh Harrison, catcher Francisco Cervelli, shortstop Jordy Mercer, third baseman David Freese, outfielder Corey Dickerson, and right-hander Ivan Nova.
Salaries
| Player | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervelli | $10.5M | $11.5M | FA |
| Harrison | $10.25M | $10.5M opt | $11.5M opt |
| Nova | $9.16M | $9.16M | FA |
| Dickerson | $5.95M | A3 | FA |
| Mercer | $6.75M | FA |
Cervelli, Harrison, Nova, and Dickerson are all under team control through at least the 2019 season (Harrison has an option, while Dickerson enters his final year of arbitration). Mercer is a free agent at the end of the campaign and will be among what's projected to be a large group of middle infielders available at the deadline.
After reaching the playoffs in three straight years from 2013-15, the Pirates have finished with a losing record in each of the last two seasons.