Pirates Willing to Trade Draft Pick at Deadline
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates could have one of their better seasons in a decade and the front office is ready to make moves that will make the team better.
The Pirates have reportedly been active on the trade market so far, but are now open to trading the 34th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, a competitive-balance pick, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Rosentahl also reported that the Pirates are willing to part with prospects to make these moves and that while the bullpen is a key area for them to address, they'll look at other options as well.
The Pirates already traded catcher Joey Bart to the Atlanta Braves for right-handed relief pitcher Hunter Stratton on June 18 and look set for more additions in the coming weeks before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Why the Pirates Would Trade a Competitive-Balance Pick
Unlike other sports where draft pick trades are commonplace, MLB teams can't trade most of their picks to other teams, aside from the Competitive Balance ones.
The Competitive-Balance pick are split into two rounds, Competitive Balance Round A and Competitive Balance Round B, with the 10 teams with the lowest revenue and 10 smallest markets getting a draft pick between the first and second rounds or between the second and third rounds, with some other ballclubs getting picks as well depending on the year.
Pittsburgh has the 34th overall pick, which is just four picks after the first round and a has a slot value of $2,897,400. They also have the biggest bonus pool in the 2026 MLB Draft at $19,130,700
The Pirates trading this pick would give the team that gets it more signing bonus money for the MLB Draft and also an extra selection.
Only two teams have traded a Competitive-Balance pick before, with the Tampa Bay Rays trading the No. 37 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft for Baltimore Orioles right-handed pitcher Bryan Baker and the Kansas City Royals trading the No. 39 pick and third baseman Cayden Wallace for Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Hunter Harvey.
The Pirates most important Competitive-Balance pick was right-handed pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski with the 31st pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of South Carolina in Round A.
Pirates Competive-Balance Round Picks History Under GM Ben Cherington
Player | Competitive-Balance Pick | School |
|---|---|---|
Carmen Mlodzinski (RHP) | 31st (2020, Round A) | South Carolina (UNI) |
Lonnie White Jr. (OF) | 64th (2021, Round B) | Malvern Prep (HS) |
Thomas Harrington (RHP) | 36th (2022, Round A) | Campbell (UNI) |
Zander Meuth (RHP) | 67th (2023, Round B) | Belleville East (HS) |
Levi Sterling (RHP) | 36th (2024, Round A) | Notre Dame (HS) |
Murf Gray (3B) | 73rd (2025, Round B) | Fresno State (UNI) |
Who the Pirates Would Go For in a Trade
The bullpen is the clear area of concern for the Pirates and they know that they need to find external options, especially if they're in the mix for a playoff spot by the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh would benefit from a closer, which would help move back all their pitchers, particularly left-hander Gregory Soto into his preferred set-up role, making for a more balanced bullpen.
Boston Red Sox left-hander Aroldis Chapman is someone that makes sense for the Pirates, especially with him pitching for them in 2024. Perhaps another reunion with New York Yankees right-handed pitcher and former Pirates closer David Bednar could work as well.
The Pirates may also go for a position player, maybe Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers, especially after trading Bart.
Pittsburgh is pretty set on the infield and they have one of the better lineups in baseball, so bullpen arms will be the focus.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.