Will the Pirates actually be Buyers at the Trade Deadline?

The trade deadline is approaching, and the Pirates should be looking to bring another bat or two. They are currently 2.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot and can make a push for a playoff spot. Their pitching has been good lately, but as the pitchers rise to the occasion, the offense disappoints. Only Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales have at least a .250 batting average with a minimum of 100 at-bats. Under the same criteria of at minimum 100 at-bats, the Pirates have three players batting under .200. Something must change if the Pirates want to compete in October.

Here are some names to keep an eye on. The first is outfielder Luis Robert Jr. The White Sox are clearly sellers this deadline sitting at 21-59. Robert Jr. is struggling this year, but has a lot of power in his swing. He is a career .274 hitter so his offensive struggles should be fixed throughout the season. And his .768 OPS is better than Jack Suwinki’s, Michael A. Taylor’s, and Edward Olivares’. He’s an immediate replacement for any one of them.

The second name and another outfielder is JJ Bleday from the Oakland A’s. The A’s are another team selling, sitting at 29-52. Bleday is only 26 years old and has four more years of control left. His slash line is .253/.335/.464 and a .799 OPS. He is an immediate top-three hitter on this team and another clear upgrade in the outfield. 

The third player I would like the Pirates to keep an eye on is the Blue Jay’s first baseman, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. I know it’s a long shot to get him, but the Pirates need a long-term solution at first base. The Blue Jays are 35-43 and Guerrero Jr. has swirled around trade rumors. He’s 25 years old and has a slash line of .286/.368/.429 with a .796 OPS. And like his dad, he has a powerful swing that can change any outcome in any game. 

The Pirates are typically sellers at the trade deadline. But this year seems just a little different. They have the talent to compete. Adding any one of these three names can boost this team a lot. The Pirates brass will show their hand at the deadline. They will either trade for a bat to compete for right now or do nothing/sell to stock up for the future. Will they be buyers this year?