Pittsburgh Review

PITTSBURGH -- Major League Baseball’s Trade Deadline is approaching, but there remains uncertainty about what will transpire by 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Over 20 clubs are either holding a playoff spot or within five games of one.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, with a 52-50 record and one game out of a Wild Card spot, are among those teams in contention. General manager Ben Cherington expressed a desire to add to the Major League roster but acknowledged the complexity given the crowded playoff race.

“Maybe that can still happen by the weekend or early next week,” Cherington said. “You have a relatively small amount of true sellers and clearly available players and a lot of teams in the middle who may be trying to do a little bit of both, who may be trying to help themselves but not wanting to take off the Major League team in a way that hurts. I think it’s going to be really interesting."

“We’re right in the middle of it. We’re talking to every team. We’re gonna keep working at it. We want to find a way to improve the team. Hard to predict how that’s gonna play out. But we’ll keep working at it.”

The Pirates have clear needs for more offense, particularly in the outfield, and possess Minor League pitching arms that could be attractive to rebuilding clubs and Deadline sellers.

Cherington discussed potential trades involving Major League players for other Major League players, including bullpen members.

“If you’re talking to a team that’s clearly in it, a team that’s going to be in the playoffs or has a good chance to be in the playoffs, well, if they’re making trades, it’s more likely they’re going to be making trades that somehow help their Major League team or at least keep them strong in a certain area or add depth to a certain area,” Cherington said. “In those scenarios, yeah, you gotta give to get. So it just depends on how it lines up. There are gonna be those kinds of conversations this year. Not just with us but across the league.”

Cherington emphasized that improving the roster could involve dealing from their pitching depth for much-needed hitting support.

“We believe in the group,” Cherington said. “We believe we’ve shown throughout the course of the season and also recently that we’re capable of playing really good baseball and getting on a run."

He added confidence in young players continuing their improvement through August and September.

“I believe we have an obligation and responsibility at this time of year to try and improve the team, give the team an even better chance.”