MLB Insider Reveals Pittsburgh Pirates' Trade Deadline Plans

The Pittsburgh Pirates are going to enter the upcoming MLB trade deadline on August 3 as one of the most interesting teams to keep an eye on.

At this point in time, there seems to be a good chance that the Pirates will be buyers. They hold a 52-48 record and are very much in the thick of the National League Wild Card race. However, they have also shown weaknesses that could derail their season.

With that being said, one MLB insider has revealed what kind of approach Pittsburgh will have ahead of the deadline.

According to USA Today insider Bob Nightengale, the Pirates are going to look to buy at the deadline. That comes with one caveat though. Pittsburgh does not want to dramatically increase its payroll this year.

"I think the mandate from ownership is doing what it takes to be in the playoffs, but not jumping up that payroll anytime soon," Nightengale said on "Foul Territory."

More than likely, that means the Pirates will be open to buying mid-tier talent. They likely are not going to look to swing for the fences at the deadline.

While fans may be frustrated with the reported approach, Pittsburgh needs to be careful. The franchise seems to be headed in the right direction, but a misstep at this point in time could be catostrophic.

Back on July 15, MLB.com shared a quote from Pirates general manager Ben Cherington about the upcoming trade deadline.

“I’ve said we believe in this team and we want to find ways to improve it,” Cherington said. “We know some of that has to happen internally. We’ve wanted to keep our eyes out externally for opportunities to improve, strengthen and deepen our roster. That can happen anytime, that can happen any day.”

Only time will tell what Pittsburgh chooses to do ahead of the deadline. It sounds like the Pirates could very well be open to buying talent, but no one should expect the team to target big contracts this time around.

Expect to hear ore about Pittsburgh in the near future as the deadline approaches.