Pirates Urged to Make Blockbuster Trade for Playoff Push

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been competitive in the 2026 season, holding a 29-26 record. However, every team in the NL Central is above .500, and the Pirates are 4.5 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

They are only one game back of a Wild Card spot, but it is a close race. Pittsburgh has a ton of young talent, including one of the best pitchers in baseball, Paul Skenes, and 20-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin, who is playing well in his rookie season.

With Skenes at the top of his game as the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, the Pirates could be aggressive in upgrading the roster at the trade deadline.

Mark Powell of FanSided proposed that the Pirates send former top pitching prospect Jared Jones and their No. 9 prospect in the organization, Esmerlyn Valdez, to the Baltimore Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman.

Pittsburgh has a talented rotation, which makes Jones potentially expendable. Jones made 22 starts in the big leagues in 2024, going 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA and a 1.192 WHIP. 

In 2026 in the minor leagues, Jones has started in five games, holding a 2.89 ERA and a 1.018 WHIP. He would be a solid arm for the Orioles to add in a potential deal.

Valdez was recently called up to the MLB and is showing some solid flashes early on. In four games, he is slashing .167/.286/.667 with two home runs, five RBIs, and a .952 OPS.

While Jones could have a spot in the MLB rotation in the near future, and Valdez has showcased his power early, a trade for Rutschman is intriguing.

Rutschman is a two-time All-Star catcher and is slashing .254/.325/.478 with seven home runs, 26 RBIs, and an .803 OPS in 37 games in 2026.

He would be an upgrade over Joey Bart, Henry Davis, and Endy Rodriguez and would be a great bat for the Pirates to add to their lineup. Davis could still serve as Skenes' personal catcher, but having Rutschman on the other days could help Pittsburgh produce more runs.

General manager Ben Cherington could be aggressive in improving the roster to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Pirates Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Pirates. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.