There is a new level of excitement and optimism around the Pittsburgh Pirates thanks to the emergence of starting pitchers Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller.
That trio is already looking like it can be one of the best in baseball, and when combined with the watered-down nature of the National League playoff race (where only four teams have a winning record), there is a push for management to go out and get some more help.
On Friday, Pirates owner and chairman Bob Nutting addressed those calls and seemed to indicate they are ready to make a move.
Nutting went on to say the team should be “prepared to move early” and not necessarily wait for the trade deadline to make an addition.
The Pirates enter play on Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays with a 36-38 record but are only half a game out of a wild-card spot in the National League.
A playoff spot is right there for the taking, and given the front end of their starting rotation, they could be a very formidable opponent for anybody in a short playoff series.
They just need some additional bats to help get them there.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds, shortstop Oneil Cruz, designated hitter Andrew McCutchen and rookie second baseman Nick Gonzales are currently the only everyday hitters in the lineup with an OPS+ higher than 100 (with 100 being considered a league-average hitter), and they do not have a difference-making power bat anywhere in the lineup.
Reynolds, Cruz and McCutchen are all good players, but they are not players that teams are going to fear on any given night.
As a team, the Pirates are just 22nd in the major leagues in runs scored.
They also should not be looking for rentals just to try and steal a playoff spot for one year. The ideal trade would be to add a player who still has years of team control remaining and can be added to the core of Skenes, Jones, Keller, Reynolds and Cruz.
Somebody like Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. would be a dream scenario. Oakland’s JJ Bleday would also be an intriguing option
It is encouraging for Nutting to say these things. It is another thing entirely for the Pirates to act on them. The Pirates’ lack of spending and consistently low payrolls are always going to leave people skeptical about ownership’s true motivations until they do something to change that. This is his opportunity. He has to take advantage of it.
