Pirates could run into biggest trade deadline obstacle in pursuit of bullpen help

You know, I know it, and everyone else in baseball knows it: The Pittsburgh Pirates need to upgrade their bullpen at the trade deadline. It is perhaps the sport's worst-kept secret that Ben Cherington and company will be actively pursuing relief help over the next two months.

But just in case you needed some extra confirmation, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal verified those rumors, even suggesting that the Buccos are trying to jump the market in their aggressive search for high-leverage arms.

Unfortunately, Rosenthal also made mention of another team who plans to seek players in the same field of expertise, and it's a bad omen for the Pirates; the San Diego Padres, despite an elite relief corps, are apparently trying to engage in some trade market gluttony.

Pirates' vastly superior farm system is Ben Cherington's lone advantage over A.J. Preller

At first glance, it doesn't really make sense as to why the Padres would be targeting relivers. Below are their stats, juxtaposed with the Pirates' for reference.

Padres v. Pirates, 2026 performance
Padres: 87 wRC+ | 4.55 rotation ERA | 3.18 bullpen ERA
Pirates: 109 wRC+ | 3.78 rotation ERA | 4.29 bullpen ERA

It's pretty clear that the Friars need help on offense and in their starting five. Of course, we said the same last year and they went out on traded one of the best prospects in baseball (Leo De Vries) for Mason Miller. This is just how A.J. Preller operates.

That's bad news for Cherington and company, who don't exist in the same stratosphere when it comes to trade-happy front offices. The Pirates' brass has made their fair share of smart moves in recent years (see: Lowe, Brandon), but Preller is the Goliath to their David. In just the 2020s, he's been responsible for trading for and away Juan Soto, bringing in Cy Young winner Blake Snell, and adding Miller to the league's best bullpen.

Luckily, all of those moves have left the Friars' farm system in ruins, with just two Top 100 prospects (Ethan Salas & Kruz Schoolcraft) at their disposal. At best, they have the ammunition for one final blockbuster, and odds are they'll have to spend those resources on a starting pitcher or middle-of-the-order slugger.

Meanwhile, the Pirates, even after graduating Konnor Griffin and Bubba Chandler, have some impressive prospect depth beyond Seth Hernandez and Edward Florentino, not to mention a host of young players already on their MLB roster. If they're chasing the same target as the Padres, they would be able to outbid them in almost any scenario.

It's simply a question of risk tolerance, which is why Preller is such a behemoth on the trade market. He's already put together one of the league's oldest and most expensive rosters; getting rid of another top prospect is like breathing for him.

That shouldn't stop the Pirates from aggressively pursuing an upgrade to their roster's weakest link, but it will drive up the cost for any prospective trade.

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