Trade deadline rankings prove Pirates could complete a quick rebuild for 2026

MLB Trade Rumors recently released their Top 40 trade candidates for the 2025 deadline, and the Pirates have four guys ranked in the top 10. In order for the Bucs to be competitive in 2026, it feels necessary for them to deal more than just their rentals. That could allow them to salvage their bottom-of-the-league offense, as spending in free agency is just not going to happen.

Pittsburgh's trade chips already felt valuable prior to this ranking's release. Now, they feel game-changing, and Ben Cherington absolutely has to take advantage of his full opportunity. If all four players in the top 10 get moved, the Pirates could completely shift their team's expectations for 2026, given this extreme seller's market, packed with increasingly desperate buyers.

Mitch Keller and David Bednar are both in the top three, coming in at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Andrew Heaney at No. 5 and Dennis Santana at No. 9 round out the quartet.

Pirates' role in MLB Trade Rumors' trade deadline rankings could help save their 2026 offense.

It is obvious that Andrew Heaney will get traded on his expiring contract, but these other three are tricky. Keller is in the second season of his five-year extension, yet the Pirates have a ton of up-and-coming pitching prospects that appear to make Keller more expandable. Bednar and Santana are both in the same boat, too, with one year of control after 2025; they're currently trusted high-leverage arms in Pittsburgh.

Since Heaney is considered a back-end starter and is on an expiring contract, he would definitely net the lowest return. Trading any of the other three could very well land the Pirates a fringe Triple-A prospect that could debut at any point or a young, controllable major leaguer, similar to the situation Spencer Horwitz was in when he was acquired last offseason.

There have been multiple rumors of possible Bednar and Santana packages and, if that happened, the Pirates would easily land a haul that could improve the overall future of this team. For example, the Phillies have reportedly called the Pirates about both players, according to Noah Hiles, and think very highly of Santana. Landing both would make the Phillies' bullpen one of the best in baseball, and would likely cost a top prospect (like Justin Crawford) and more.

Keller being an above-average pitcher on a team-friendly extension would also help Pittsburgh land a quality return. The Cubs and Mets are the only teams with publicly reported interest so far, and the Pirates should be after a top-five prospect from either team, such as New York's Carson Benge or the Cubs' Kevin Alcantara.

All of these returns are hypotheticals, yet feel very realistic given the potential value of the Pirates' assets. Dealing these pitchers for offense could help even out this team, making for a contender in 2026. Ben Cherington is on the hot seat right now and if he does not act fast towards rejuvenating this offense, this team could find a new GM this offseason. The Nationals have fired theirs at the midseason, and Cherington may be next if this deadline is an utter failure.