ESPN's trade deadline update gives Pirates fans a refreshing change

The MLB trade deadline is eight days away. For Pirates fans, this time of year has recently represented one final opportunity to say goodbye to players on expiring deals, or those playing their way out of Pittsburgh's price range.

While the Pirates don't plan on adding much payroll to the current roster at the deadline, this August can (and should) feel a little bit different for Ben Cherington and the Pittsburgh front office. The Pirates are in possession of the final NL Wild Card spot and in position to buy at the deadline.

Don't believe me? Just ask Jeff Passan of ESPN, whose most recent trade deadline rankings failed to list a single Pirate. For once, Cherington is in position to add come Aug. 3, namely to the bullpen, rather than subtracting from a team that has proven it has what it takes to make an October run.

What ESPN thinks the Pirates will do at the MLB trade deadline

Passan and his ESPN colleagues didn't list a single current player on the Pirates roster as a top-100 trade deadline candidate. That's great news for a fanbase that's grown far too accustomed to selling this time of year. Passan also linked Pittsburgh to some of the top players available, including Mason Miller, Luis Arraez, Willson Contreras, Adley Rutschman, Aroldis Chapman and Isaac Paredes.

Now, whether the Pirates actually chase some of these stars, especially considering they don't want to add payroll and the prospect capital it would require to land them, is another question entirely. For a brief second, though, Pirates fans ought to soak this all in. For once, fan frustration has little to do with ownership and the front office's plans to trade their favorite players. That alone feels like a small, but not insignificant, victory.

Passan isn't alone in his thoughts on the Pirates trade deadline, either. FanSided's Robert Murray listed Pittsburgh as a buyer, linking the Pirates to some much-needed bullpen help.

"Adding pitching will be the Pirates’ focus at the deadline. They’re three games over .500, have a legitimate chance at a postseason spot and have a glaring need in the bullpen. Ben Cherington will work the phones trying to acquire a reliever, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if that comes closer to the Aug. 3 deadline," Murray wrote.

What will the Pirates actually do at the MLB trade deadline?

Don't shoot the messenger, but Mason Miller feels like a pipe dream. The asking price for Miller, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, is astronomical — assume two top-100 prospects and then some. Miller is the best closer in all of baseball, and while he'd make the Pirates a much better baseball team, he will not fix their bullpen alone.

The Pirates rank 23rd in bullpen ERA so far this season. They've blown more save opportunities than they've converted. Finding a closer they can count on is priority No. 1, and they don't have to acquire Miller to fix that problem. Someone like Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela, who can be had for a less expensive package than Miller, could be a solution.

Cherington has tried to solve Pittsburgh's bullpen woes already with minor moves, whether it be shifting Carmen Mlodzinski out of his starting role, or acquiring Hunter Stratton and Brandon Eisert. Neither of those pitchers has worked out to date. Eventually, Cherington will have to show his cards, but it's a promising sign that it's expected of him, rather than the alternative.

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