3 prospects the Pirates should trade if they are buyers at deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a very good chance of being buyers at the trade deadline. If they make even just a little noise in July, they’ll be in a position to at least add for this year and next year. Right now, their pitching is excellent -- at least, in their rotation. They could definitely use another reliever, but the offense, especially outfield, remains the biggest concern.

A few weeks ago, we went over some prospects the Pirates should try and hold onto if they go after anyone on the trade market. In this follow-up, we’re going to look at three prospects the Pirates should be willing to move to improve the roster now, whether they serve as a headliner in a trade, or a part of a larger package. While the Pirates shouldn't have nearly anyone marked as untouchable, aside from Termarr Johnson and maybe Bubba Chandler, the Pirates should be willing to move these prospects more than anyone else.

Prospects the Pirates should be willing to sell on at MLB Trade Deadline

Anthony Solometo

Anthony Solometo entered the season as one of the Pirates’ best pitching prospects. While he hasn’t been able to replicate his quality 2023 season at Altoona, he’s still a talented left-hander with very good command. While his season hasn’t gone as planned, the Pirates should try to move Solometo while the value is still up.

Solometo has pitched 33 innings on the year with a 6.27 ERA, 6.64 FIP, and 1.61 WHIP. His command has been way off, as he’s dished out a walk to 14% of total batters faced. His strikeouts are also down to just 16%. The only positive is that his 1.64 HR/9 is likely to regress to a more manageable state. Solometo’s ground ball rate is well above 50% at 56%, and his fly ball rate is only 27%. While a 22.2% HR/FB ratio indicates better fly ball luck in his near future, it doesn’t take away from the poor walk rate and even worse strikeout rate.

That all sounds pretty ugly, so why would any team be interested in Solometo? Well, first, he’s still really young. Solometo doesn’t turn 22 until December. He is currently the 10th-youngest pitcher at Double-A with at least 10 starts. Solometo doesn’t throw hard, sitting 91-94, but he’s displayed extremely good command in prior seasons. His slider and changeup are also solid offerings, and his funky arm slot gives everything a level of deception.

Anthony Solometo isn’t at peak value, but teams care about upside, and he still has a lot of it. The Pirates have more than enough pitching that they could part with Solometo and still have a pitching-rich farm system. Also, maybe the Pirates should think about moving Solometo before his stock drops too dramatically. 

Lonnie White Jr.

Anthony Solometo isn’t the only prospect on today’s list who signed an overslot deal during the 2021 draft. Outfielder Lonnie White Jr. was another high school prospect the Pirates took in the second round as their competitive balance pick. While he’s a risky prospect, the Pirates should take advantage of his sky-high ceiling. 

White Jr.’s 2024 hasn’t been great. He’s batting a mediocre .190/.294/.410. He has 11 homers, a .220 isolated slugging percentage, and a 9.1% walk rate. However, this is where the positives end regarding his numbers for the year. He’s also struck out slightly over 30% of the time, with a 31.6% K% and a below-average 97 wRC+.

But to White’s credit, he is getting better. The outfielder slashed .236/.337/.486 with a .372 wOBA and 127 wRC+ during June. He improved his walk rate to above 10% at 10.8%, while cutting his K% down below 30% to 27.7%. While that K% is still a tad high, he was striking out over a third of the time prior to June. He’s been even better in the final few weeks of June, striking out less than 25% of the time with three homers in his last 38 plate appearances.

White is still considered a top 10 prospect in the Pirates’ system by MLB Pipeline and top 20 by Baseball America. He’s ranked so highly because his potential evokes a 20/20 threat with Gold Glove-caliber defense. White is a plus-plus runner with well above-average raw power. He definitely has a chance to be a great center fielder, but his arm is strong enough that it can play in a corner as well.

The Pirates might net something pretty good with White Jr. involved. While he is a risky prospect, there is a reason why he’s considered one of the better prospects in the Pirates’ system. Teams will buy into his ceiling if the Pirates make him available in trade talks.