The Pittsburgh Pirates traded away some important pieces at last month's trade deadline, including Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes and two-time All-Star closer David Bednar. But there is reason to believe – on paper, anyway – the National League Central's bottom-dwellers could go from deadline sellers in 2025 to deadline buyers in 2026.
Theo DeRosa of MLB.com recently included the Pirates among the handful of buyers at this year's deadline who could see their fortunes change as soon as next season, citing their top-tier starting rotation. In addition to the dominance of Paul Skenes, the reliability of Mitch Keller and the impending return of Jared Jones from the injured list, the Pirates' 2026 rotation will also likely include MLB Pipeline's No.