This mock trade would bring electric star center fielder, relief help to Pirates

The Pirates are playing excellent baseball right now, but could take over during the second half with a big time pickup at the MLB trade deadline. Outfield is by far the team's biggest need after seeing players like Jack Suwinski and Michael A. Taylor struggle offensively. One player the Pirates have been rumored to have trade talks surrounding is Jazz Chisholm, a center fielder from the Miami Marlins. Odds are he would not switch positions to second base, as rumored, if the Pirates were to acquire him instead of other interested teams like the Mariners and Yankees.

Should the Pirates try to trade for Jazz Chisholm at the MLB Trade Deadline?

Chisholm is having a decent year at the plate, hovering around being a slightly above-average hitter. He also brings great speed in center field, which has made him a solid defender (though, again, he's always been more reliable in the infield).

This season, Chisholm has a batting average of .251 with 13 home runs and 45 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .733, which includes an on-base percentage of .322 and a slugging percentage of .411. His wRC+ is at 104, along with 19 stolen bases and an fWAR of 1.6.

There are other options on the market, but securing a center fielder with control makes sense for the Pirates with the way their roster is constructed.

In this particular mock trade, the Pirates would not only be targeting Chisholm, but a left-handed reliever in AJ Puk as well. Although the Pirate bullpen is getting Ryan Borucki and Hunter Stratton back from the Injured List, they should look to also add another reliever.

Puk’s stats from this season are inflated from his time as a starter. Out of the bullpen this season, Puk has a 2.22 earned run average in 28.1 innings pitched and has struck out 30 batters. Opponents are batting just .168 against him and his WHIP sits at 0.81. He has been dominant out of the bullpen this year and also has multiple years of control, which could help the Pirates replace Aroldis Chapman for 2025.

What would it cost the Pirates to get Jazz Chisholm and AJ Puk from the Marlins?

The Pirates will not be able to get away with dangling a cheap trade package here. It will begin with a top pitching prospect -- perhaps Braxton Ashcraft, the Pirates' fourth-ranked prospect. Ashcraft is the team's most MLB-ready prospect, along with being a very solid arm. He is having a career year, as he has been healthy for the most part, which has been an issue in his career.

This season, Ashcraft has a 3-2 record with an earned run average of 2.88 in 72 innings pitched and has struck out 76 batters. Opposing hitters are batting .234 against him and his WHIP sits at 1.07. His numbers are very impressive this year, but they got even better after his promotion to Triple-A. Ashcraft has only allowed one earned run in 18.1 innings pitched with Indianapolis.

Ashcraft headlines this proposed package, but another big time player tagging along is Liover Peguero. Along with an MLB-ready pitching prospect, the Marlins would receive an MLB ready shortstop in this scenario. With Oneil Cruz being healthy and Nick Gonzales emerging as the team's second baseman, a spot has not opened up for Peguero with these Pirates, but his value could still play a huge role in making this big-league team better.

In Triple-A this season, Peguero has a batting average of .254 with six home runs and 46 runs batted in. He also has an OPS of .702, which includes an on-base percentage of .314 and a slugging percentage of .388. His wRC+ is extremely low at 74, but his walk percentage is up at 8.4%. It is a bit of a down year for Peguero, but the 23-year-old middle infielder could still make an impact at the big-league level.

The final player in our proposal is Patrick Reilly, the Pirates' 19th-ranked prospect. The Marlins already have an abundance of pitching that is hurt, but securing another arm with lots of upside is a likely scenario at the deadline.

This season in High-A, Reilly has a 5-4 record with an earned run average of 3.30 in 79 innings pitched and has struck out 97 batters. Opponents are batting .191 against him and his WHIP sits at 1.18. Over his collegiate and professional career, Reilly has struggled with control, but it appears that he has figured a lot of his command issues out this year. He's definitely one of the most underrated prospects in the league.

Overall, this trade will help both teams, which could help push it past the finish line. Chisholm would solve a major gap in the Pirates' outfield, along with Puk providing a reliable arm in the bullpen. It would be tough to give up Ashcraft and Reilly, but with the abundance of pitching the Pirates have built up, it may be time to unload some.