The Pittsburgh Pirates have to feel really good about the season they've had, though there's certainly room for improvement. Most expected during the offseason that this roster was going to be a lot better because of the moves the front office made, and as a result, that's been the case early on.
The Pirates will have to continue improving on both sides of the baseball to really be who they want to be, but there's been lots to like so far.
Nonetheless, it's all but guaranteed that the Pirates will do more on both sides of the ball at the trade deadline if the front office believes they have a chance to win and is willing to spend some money.
Remember, most moves at the deadline aren't going to come cheap in terms of actual money and prospects.
Looking ahead to what the Pirates could be getting themselves into, there's reason to think they'll do what most contending teams do if they're in a position to compete for a World Series.
Every contending team needs pitching, which should prompt the Pirates to add on the mound.
“Right now, an extra arm or two would be my choice. Maybe that’s a starter or a reliever. I wouldn’t have any issue with both. There’s also information we need to gain in the form of Jared Jones’ return, how that impacts Carmen Mlodzinski, what becomes of Wilber Dotel and more. But if you go around the diamond — again, we can’t really assume injury — and the options are minimal.
"That's a good thing. Catcher would be about the only one at this point. Maybe another bat if Marcell Ozuna doesn't pick it up. (I think he will.) I gave some consideration to third base. However, as I type this, Nick Gonzales is hitting .328 with a .752 OPS. Should that continue, he deserves to play every day,” Jason Mackey of MLB.com wrote.
As Mackey touched on, it might not be the worst idea to add another offensive player, as the Pirates will need to do some more on the other side of the baseball to be the team they're looking to be.
