Pirates could land dream trade deadline haul with these 3 players

That the Pittsburgh Pirates are over .500 and in the mix for an NL playoff spot isn't a huge surprise. But the manner in which the team got to this point was certainly unexpected.

In one of the most shocking turnarounds in recent MLB history, the Pirates' offense has gone from last in OPS in 2025 to top-three this season, thanks in large part to excellent offseason additions (Ryan O'Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum) and an infusion of rookie talent (Konnor Griffin, Esmerlyn Valdez).

The pitching, meanwhile, has underwhelmed. Despite sending two starting pitchers and zero hitters to the All-Star Game in Philadelphia, the team's rotation ERA is up over 50 points from last season. And the bullpen has been a catastrophe. With even a competent bullpen, the Pirates would be one of MLB's very best teams.

It's no secret that the Pirates are looking for reinforcements for the pitching staff ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Bucs have a leg up on the field for the final NL Wild Card spot and appear to have the prospect capital and financial means to make those additions. Trading for these three players would put the Pirates in a great position to make a run this postseason.

3 players who would make the perfect Pirates trade deadline haul

Luke Weaver

The obvious greatest asset the Pirates lack is a reliable right-handed pitcher who can pitch leverage innings late in games. That was supposed to be Dennis Santana, who was designated for assignment after pitching to an ERA over 6.00 to this point in the season. While fans can dream about making a splash for Mason Miller, that trade cost is probably more than what Pittsburgh is willing to pay. The next best option, and a realistic one at that, is Luke Weaver.

Weaver has excelled in his first season with the Mets. Through 40 appearances, he has a sparkling 1.88 ERA, and his sub-3.00 FIP suggests that his strikeout, walk, and home run totals are all in a good place. He had a 25-game stretch from May 1 into mid-July where he faced 100 batters and allowed no earned runs. He's been among the best qualified relievers in baseball at generating swings and misses (82nd percentile whiff rate) and limited hard contact (80th percentile hard-hit rate).

He hasn't been serving as the Mets' closer, but he's been the best reliever in their strong bullpen, and he has prior experience in the ninth inning. He inherited the closer role late in the 2024 season on a Yankees team that went to the World Series.

Weaver is in the first year of a two-year deal and is due $11 million in 2027. With the Pirates capable of adding payroll and needing future relief help (Gregory Soto's contract expires after this season), that should provide even more incentive for the Pirates to prioritize Weaver. He checks just about every box.

Jeff Hoffman

On the surface, Jeff Hoffman might not look like the same pitcher he was when he broke out as a relief ace with the Phillies in 2023 and 2024. During that span, he finished sixth among qualified relievers in ERA (2.28), fourth in K-BB% (26.0%), and fifth in fWAR (3.6).

His fortunes took a turn after signing with the Blue Jays ahead of the 2025 season. Despite still saving 33 games, his ERA ballooned to 4.37 and he allowed 15 home runs (plus the World Series Game 7-tying homer to Miguel Rojas). His ERA is still above 4.00 this season, and now he's playing third fiddle in the Toronto bullpen behind Louis Varland and Tyler Rogers.

Hoffman may not be quite as good as he was in Philadelphia, but he's dealt with some brutal bad luck in Toronto. He had the highest percentage of his fly balls leave the ballpark among all qualified relievers in 2025 (20%; league average was 11.9%). While the home run woes have sorted themselves out this year, he's still dealing with other bad batted-ball luck. Opposing hitters have an absurd .394 batting average on balls in play against Hoffman this season (league average is .287).

Under the hood, Hoffman still looks like an elite reliever. He's in the 98th percentile in chase, whiff, and strikeout rates while posting well-above-average ground ball and hard-hit percentages. His reverse splits also make him an ideal fit for the Pirates' bullpen. While much of the team's staff has struggled against left-handed bats, Hoffman is holding those hitters to a .647 OPS.

Like Weaver, Hoffman is under team control through next season, with an $11 million price tag on top of his remaining money this year. Given his recent struggles, he should come at a much cheaper cost, and the Pirates probably have some enticing enough prospects to get Toronto to eat some of his salary.

Foster Griffin

It came as a surprise when Ben Cherington didn't acquire a left-handed starting pitcher this past offseason. After offloading Bailey Falter and Andrew Heaney last summer, he might end up adding a southpaw this time around.

Foster Griffin has been a revelation for the Nationals. Through 21 starts, he has a 2.76 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, and Washington (the only offense outscoring the Pirates on a per-game basis) has won 17 of those games. He's far from overpowering, but he uses elite control (90th-percentile walk rate) and a seven-pitch arsenal to keep hitters off balance, headlined by a cutter that is by far the most valuable in MLB (13 Run Value, five higher than the next-best cutter).

The primary appeal in adding Griffin is the benefits it could have on the rest of the Pirates' rotation. Running a six-man rotation — and doing so by adding a quality left-hander — would likely benefit all parties. That would allow Mitch Keller and Paul Skenes to stay fresher (Skenes has a 1.60 career ERA when pitching with six or more in-season days of rest) and manage innings for the rest of the rotation (Jared Jones is working back from elbow surgery, and Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler are facing a full-season workload for the first time in their professional careers).

Utilizing six starting pitchers would leave the bullpen a man short, but adding two established back-end arms (like Weaver and Hoffman) would enable that group, which has underwhelmed time and time again, to succeed under those conditions. Strengthening the bullpen at the end of games in turn strengthens the bullpen in the middle innings, where the Pirates have blown enough games already.

Shoring up the pitching staff would make the Pirates legitimate contenders in October. The team boasts a high-powered offense and a starting rotation that nobody would want to face in a postseason series. They just have to do the work necessary to get there first.

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