Pirates might have a painfully unsurprising reason for shopping the No. 34 draft pick

The Pittsburgh Pirates reportedly shopping the No. 34 pick in the upcoming MLB Draft was already eyebrow-raising. A team built around young talent, controlled payroll and player development typically doesn't look to move a premium draft asset unless there is a clear baseball reason attached.

But Ken Rosenthal’s latest note in The Athletic (subscription required) added a different layer to the situation, and Pirates fans probably won't like it.

Rosenthal previously reported that the Pirates were open to trading their competitive-balance round pick, No. 34 overall, along with prospects from their minor-league system. The easy assumption was that Pittsburgh could be trying to package the pick for immediate Major League help — specifically, in the bullpen — especially with the team still close enough to the Wild Card race to justify buying at the deadline.

Then came the financial wrinkle. The slot value for the 34th pick is $2,897,400. According to Rosenthal, the Pirates could have incentive to redirect that money toward Major League payroll — or simply save a chunk of it by acquiring a player who earns less.

Pirates should only consider trading No. 34 draft pick for baseball reasons, not financial incentive

There is a version of this strategy that makes sense. If the Pirates can turn the No. 34 pick into a legitimate MLB contributor, especially one who helps fill a real need, then it's hard to criticize them for being aggressive. Draft picks are valuable, but Pittsburgh hasn't sniffed playoff baseball since 2015. At some point, prospect capital has to become Major League production.

The problem is that the Pirates have yet to be connected to a major name in a deal involving that pick, and the draft begins Saturday. Maybe that changes quickly. Maybe talks intensify. Maybe Konnor Griffin’s injury complicated their plans, especially if Pittsburgh suddenly feels more pressure to find shortstop depth or offensive help instead of dealing from its future.

Still, the financial angle is impossible to ignore because of who owns the team. Under Bob Nutting, the Pirates have rarely earned the benefit of the doubt when money enters the conversation. So when one of the sport’s most plugged-in reporters points out that trading the pick could help Pittsburgh avoid nearly $3 million in draft spending, fans are going to wonder whether this is really about roster improvement or cost management.

The Pirates can quiet that concern with one move: turn the pick into real help. Anything less would make an already strange rumor look a lot more troubling.

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