Pirates trade buzz takes a strange turn with 2 speculated candidates from ESPN

If you think your job is hard, try being president of baseball operations for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sure, the pay is better than we're used to, but Ben Cherington is asked to do a lot with little resources. While owner Bob Nutting has opened up his wallet slightly wider this season — and Cherington did some good with that money by signing Ryan O'Hearn and trading for Brandon Lowe — greater financial output doesn't always guarantee happiness. Look no further than Marcell Ozuna.

However, at 38-37, the Pirates are firmly in buyer mode for the upcoming MLB trade deadline should Cherington choose to be. The pressure is on Pittsburgh to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The roster has glaring weaknesses, especially the bullpen, which makes Jeff Passan's recent trade deadline predictions for the Pirates all the more confusing.

Jeff Passan's MLB trade deadline intel doesn't line up with Pirates rumors

I'm not one to question Jeff Passan, MLB insider GOAT and troll extraordinaire. But in his most recent column for ESPN, Passan and Kiley McDaniel ranked the top-100 trade deadline candidates. That list includes at least two players connected to the Pirates in Willson Contreras and Luis Arraez.

Willson Contreras

• .295/.389/.556 slash line with a .945 OPS
• 16 home runs and 43 RBI

If the Pirates acquire Contreras, it'd be a bit of a shocker. First, Cherington would essentially admit defeat on the Ozuna front, which is not something an executive on the hot seat is prone to do. Contreras has been fantastic for the Boston Red Sox this season, with an OPS over 1.000 at Fenway Park. His overall OPS is .945, and he has 16 home runs to boot.

Ozuna is borderline unplayable at this point. Contreras would slide right in as Pittsburgh's DH, with Spencer Horwitz as the Pirates' everyday first baseman. The Pirates lineup is by no means a weakness. They rank sixth in MLB in runs per game. Acquiring Contreras would add to a strength, but wouldn't necessarily make the Pirates that much better, especially while their bullpen is bleeding runs.

Luis Arraez

• .319/.352/.435 with a .787 OPS
• 2.1 bWAR and a 126 OPS+

Arraez primarily plays second and third base, with are currently occupied by Nick Gonzales and Jared Triolo these days. While Triolo pales in comparison to Arraez at the plate, he is a better defensive player. Gonzales isn't that much of a downgrade in the lineup. Thus, is acquiring Arraez really in the Pirates best interest, especially if it limits the assets they can trade for bullpen help? I'd argue not so much. Still, there's no denying what Arraez brings to the table, as he's arguably the Giants most attractive trade asset given his contract.

"Arraez has done more to improve himself in the eyes of teams than perhaps anyone on this list. His second-base defense this year is among the best in the league. Teams also understand how valuable putting the ball in play can be in the postseason, and nobody is better at that than Arraez, who is going to lead MLB in strikeout rate for the fifth consecutive season. With experience at first base, as well, Arraez's versatility expands his market, positioning him to join his fifth team in five years," Passan wrote.

What the Pirates really need at the MLB trade deadline

As any Pirates fan can tell you, what this team really needs at the trade deadline is a reliable back-end bullpen arm. Heck, they might as well make it two. While the Pirates spent plenty this offseason to improve their lineup, the final $12 million they used to add Ozuna could've been allocated to bullpen depth instead. That failure has come back to bite them time and time again.

There's no denying Cherington is feeling the heat this deadline. If the Pirates fail to make the playoffs once again, his entire team-building model could come into question. Nutting is a patient man, but at some point even he needs to start seeing on-field results at the MLB level.

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