Sports

Pirates can make these 5 trade deadline moves without raising payroll

FanSided · Jul 21, 2026 22:52 · 6 min read

Pirates can make these 5 trade deadline moves without raising payroll

The Pittsburgh Pirates want to add aggressively at the trade deadline — but only if the cap sheet remains balanced. These blockbuster trades can get the job done.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 52-49, well within reach of an NL Wild Card spot. After an uncharacteristically aggressive offseason, it seems like Ben Cherington and the front office will keep their foot on the gas pedal — with one caveat. The Pirates will look to buy at the MLB trade deadline, but only if they can do so without increasing payroll, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

While there's almost certainly some wiggle room within that framing, the Pirates probably aren't looking to take on expensive stars like Rafael Devers or Tarik Skubal. Instead, we can expect Pittsburgh to target more manageable salaries. In a perfect world, that means targeting arbitration-eligible players with multiple years of club control, ones who can still help Pittsburgh make up ground in these final months. Here are a few viable options.

Pirates trade package for Daniel Lynch IV

Daniel Lynch IV - Kansas City Royals | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Daniel Lynch IV has quietly emerged as the best reliever on a terrible Royals team. Given Kansas City's placement at the bottom of the American League standings, it'd be a no-brainer to cash in on a bullpen arm at the peak of his value. Lynch, 29, is making a smidge more than $1 million this season, with two additional years of arbitration left.

If the Pirates want to keep up in the crowded National League, improving the bullpen is a must. Dennis Santana has fallen off a cliff, while Gregory Soto is far too volatile to consistently put the lid on narrow leads. Lynch, with his 2.44 ERA and 0.94 WHIP across 41.1 innings this season, can step in as an immediate high-leverage option. Opponents are hitting .140 against his sinker and slider this season, with a plus changeup he can mix in, too.

Lynch isn't the overpowering strikeout machine we typically envision with modern-day closers, but he forces consistent soft, ground-ball contact and excels at damage control. He's great at avoiding sudden, dramatic shifts in momentum. If it takes a couple underperforming top-10 prospects from the Pirates system, so be it.

Pirates trade package for Hunter Goodman

Hunter Goodman - Colorado Rockies | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It will take a pretty penny (or several quality prospects) to pry Hunter Goodman away from Colorado, as the two-time All-Star catcher is still under contract through 2029 and making just $810,000 this season. That said, as Colorado looks to thread the needle between short-term improvement and a real vision for the future, maxing out on the return for Goodman could help. It's hard to sustain success as MLB's worst team when your farm system also ranks near the bottom.

With all hope lost for former No. 1 pick Henry Davis, the Pirates are in need of semi-dependable offensive production at the catcher position. There's some optimism with 25-year-old Rafael Flores Jr., but flipping him for an established star with 40-homer power (and who's only a year older) feels like an easy sacrifice.

The Rockies also receive southpaw Hunter Barco and outfielder Jhostynxon García, two seasoned prospects who failed to stick in the Majors earlier this season. The Pirates add Goodman's 30 homers and .881 OPS to the mix. While Goodman's high-strikeout diet and middling defensive metrics are a concern, he's simply too cheap and too productive at a position where offensive stardom is rare.

Pirates trade package for Mason Miller

Mason Miller - San Diego Padres | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Padres dealt Leo De Vries, a top-five prospect in MLB, to acquire Mason Miller at the 2025 deadline. He has since only elevated his stock, with a 0.89 ERA and 0.84 WHIP across 40.2 innings. The 27-year-old is up to 75 strikeouts and is a perfect 25-for-25 in save opportunities.

With three additional years of club control remaining and a paltry $4 million salary this season, Miller is the ultimate cheap fix to what ails the Pirates bullpen. He's the best reliever in the sport and he should anchor the closer spot under his contract expires, at which point Pittsburgh can decide whether or not to extend him.

It will take a borderline insane package to get a Miller deal across the line. His market far exceeds any other bullpen arm in baseball, as evidenced by what San Diego gave up to get him last summer. The Padres aren't going to bite on anything less than the best possible offer, largely because of how much they sacrificed to get Miller in the door.

Edward Florentino is an uber-talented outfield prospect who has already made huge strides at just 19 years old. Jared Jones recently returned from Tommy John surgery, but the stuff gets sharper by the day, with metrics that far exceed his modest 4.05 ERA through nine starts and 40.0 innings. Barco's stock is down, but he's still a long-acclaimed prospect with potential mid-rotation equity. At worst, if the command falters, Barco should settle into a high-leverage bullpen role eventually.

Pirates trade package for Reid Detmers

Reid Detmers - Los Angeles Angels | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Angels and Reid Detmers settled in arbitration at $2.6 million, with two additional years of club control remaining. Los Angeles is generally far too reluctant to trade impact starters for a team so far removed from contention, but given the dire state of affairs in Anaheim (and the recent removal of Perry Minasian as GM), the right package can probably force their hand.

Detmers' numbers don't pop on the surface, as he allowed 10 earned runs in two starts prior to the All-Star break. He's up to a 4.16 ERA and 1.12 WHIP on the season, with 130 strikeouts in 114.2 innings. Six shutout innings in his first start post-break, however, was a positive sign. Detmers' metrics under the hood are borderline elite. He's one of the most under-the-radar pitchers in MLB and he's on an exceedingly team-friendly contract. The Angels can command a haul — and get it.

The Pirates could really use an upgrade to their fifth starter spot with Bubba Chandler and Mitch Keller both on the struggle bus. Detmers is 27 years old, with some of the best breaking stuff in MLB to complement a mid-90s fastball that he can pepper all over the zone.

Murf Gray, a 22-year-old third baseman ranked No. 100 in MLB Pipeline's Top 100, and Bubba Chandler, a former consensus top-10 prospect himself, is no small price. Chandler has lightning-caliber stuff, but he just can't place it in the strike zone consistently right now. He's one of the most volatile starters in the Majors and the shine has worn off considerably. That's a great reclamation project for the Angels, but the Pirates can accept the risk for three years of Detmers and his rock-solid stuff.

Pirates trade package for Shea Langeliers

Shea Langeliers - Athletics | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Pirates want to aim a bit higher than Goodman, the rumblings around Shea Langeliers are loud enough to take seriously. The A's are on a promising trajectory and won't trade Langeliers just to trade him, as he's under club control through 2028 with a modest $5.3 million price tag this season. That said, he's also a Scott Boras client, and his value won't peak higher than this. The All-Star catcher has an .820 OPS with 22 homers on the year and he hasn't even performed up to his underlying metrics.

Langeliers knows his way around home plate, with an elite pop time and a penchant for keeping opposing base-runners in check. He'd also be Pittsburgh's most dangerous bat from the jump. Not unlike Goodman, Langeliers spends too much time fishing outside the zone, which can lead to an elevated strikeout rate. Even so, the 28-year-old's contact skills are dialed in and he consistently displays power to all fields.

There's a strong case for either Goodman or Langeliers as the "dream" addition behind home plate. Goodman is a couple years younger with an even longer window of control, while Langeliers is more refined in his approach. Both would take a haul, potentially including three or four top-30 prospects from the Pirates system. At the end of the day, both are worth it. Langeliers dramatically improves an already-dangerous lineup, while helping the Pirates hedge against the potential departures of Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn in 2027.