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. 

Hunter Barco

After missing the first half of 2023 due to recovering from Tommy John surgery, Hunter Barco entered 2024 as an interesting arm to watch at High-A Greensboro. While there were reasonable questions about how he’d handle a starter’s workload in pro ball, he has excelled given the task and is someone the Pirates should be willing to move at the deadline.

Barco has pitched 57 innings for Greensboro, working to a strong 3.16 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 1.12 WHIP. Barco’s 9.4% walk rate is slightly better than the league average, but he’s striking out just over 30% of opponents with a 30.8% K%, and has only allowed three home runs while keeping the ball on the ground at a solid 46.9% clip. Barco had a pair of rough starts in June, but aside from that, he has put together an impressive season.

Barco isn’t a flamethrower, but he was sitting 93-94 MPH in his most recent outing. That velo will play, given his command and his deceptive arm slot. He’ll also throw a sinker with more vertical break around the same velo as his four-seamer. His slider is another above-average pitch, and he’ll also mix in a changeup. Most of his stuff sits at a 50-55 grade level, but again, because of his good command and low arm slot, everything plays up slightly.

A lot of fans like Barco, but I think the Pirates should try and capitalize on his value now. Barco, as a headliner, might be able to net a solid player. But if he’s the second piece in a larger trade package, the Pirates could get someone who could give the offense the thump it needs right now.