3 nightmare scenarios for Pirates at this year's MLB trade deadline

The MLB trade deadline is just days away, and the National League wild card race is as crowded as ever. The Pittsburgh Pirates have a chance to end their eight-year postseason drought, and the deadline represents an opportunity for them to separate themselves from the pack (should they choose to capitalize on it).

The Pirates are far from the only team looking to upgrade their roster as they vie for a postseason berth, though. With so few teams being true sellers at this year's deadline, the trade market is going to be as cutthroat as ever with playoff hopefuls duking it out for the few trade chips who have been made openly available by their teams.

The trade deadline giveth, and the trade deadline taketh away – and the Pirates had better hope they don't end up on the losing end of this year's deals.

3 nightmare scenarios for Pirates at this year's MLB trade deadline

Pirates overpay for a rental at the trade deadline

The offense-hungry Pirates have been linked to a handful of rental bats ahead of the trade deadline, most notably veteran Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham. The Pirates easily have enough ammunition in their farm system – or even at the back of their major league rotation – to entice a rebuilding team like Chicago. But if they are acquiring a player like Pham who will become a free agent after this season, the worst thing they could do is give up too many key prospects in order to get him.

The circumstances change, of course, if Pittsburgh goes after a player like Miami Marlins outfielder Jazz Chisholm, who still has multiple years of team control remaining on his contract. But the Pirates had better not be throwing away valuable prospects in exchange for a few months of a 36-year-old outfielder in Pham, or something similar to that.

Padres and/or Cardinals add arms at the trade deadline

The Pirates are currently 1.5 games out of the third and final NL wild card spot, which is currently occupied by the San Diego Padres. The St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks are half-game out and one game out, respectively.

As Pittsburgh's most direct competition for that final wild card spot, the aforementioned teams will also likely be looking for opportunities to improve at the deadline. Arizona already has, acquiring reliever AJ Puk from the Marlins on Thursday, and the Diamondbacks are reportedly still continuing to explore the trade market.

San Diego and St. Louis are also looking for impact arms to strengthen their starting rotations. That's the one area where the Pirates don't need any help, but their lack of offense is going to become an even bigger problem if their opponents' pitching staffs get even better.

Pirates do absolutely nothing to improve their major league roster at the deadline

We'd love to be wrong about this one, but unfortunately, our final nightmare scenario is likely the most realistic one. The perennially tightfisted Pirates are rarely the ones to make moves of significance at the trade deadline ... or during the offseason ... or ever, really.

If anything, expect the Pirates to make a minor move or two before Tuesday — maybe a pickup from the proverbial trash heap of players who have been DFA'd by other teams.

Should the Pirates be buyers at this year's deadline? Absolutely. But will they be? Well ... don't get your hopes up.

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