The Pittsburgh Pirates are expected to be a seller at the trade deadline this year.
The Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t off to the hottest start this season, which means trades could be on the horizon in the dog days of summer.
ESPN insider David Schoenfield named outfielder Tommy Pham and starting pitcher Andrew Heaney as two potential trade candidates for the Pirates this season.
With a discouraging start and a lineup that just isn’t going to score enough runs, it already looks like a lost season in Pittsburgh, one that Paul Skenes can’t rescue all by himself. The Pirates can only hope their list of veterans heading into free agency will play well enough to create some trade interest. Heaney is a viable back-end starter, although not necessarily someone you want to line up in a playoff game. Pham has been here before: He was traded at the 2022 deadline to the Red Sox, at the 2023 deadline to the Diamondbacks and at the 2024 deadline to the Cardinals (and later joined the Royals on waivers). However, he’s struggling at age 37 and might not have much left in the tank.
Teams looking for a bat or an arm around the trade deadline could look to the Pirates for some help, as they aren’t expected to be a contender by the end of July.
That being said, there is a lot of games left to be played between now and then, giving the Bucs a chance to get back in the race and in a position to where trading Pham or Heaney might not be a good idea.