Pittsburgh Pirates have discussed trade for versatile All-Star…

The Pittsburgh Pirates have steadily improved under the guidance of manager Derek Shelton. But they’re still not quite where they want to be.

For now, the Pirates enter MLB games today in third place of the NL Central and face a six-game deficit for first place.

But if the Pirates want to improve their odds of either winning the division outright or locking in an NL Wild Card slot, they may have to upgrade the roster ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

However, the Pirates have already placed several trade calls to opposing general managers. This includes negotiating a trade for a multi-positional All-Star.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on a hot streak right now, winning five in a row following the game-winning single from Nick Gonzales. Now the front office wants to capitalize by shopping for roster upgrades.

According to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, the Pirates are among several teams that have discussed trading for All-Star outfielder/second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.

“I believe (Jazz Chisholm will be traded). The Marlins are open for business. I think the discussions that the Pirates and Marlins have had so far are exploratory.

But I do believe the Pirates are among a handful of teams that have kicked the tires.

I would not put them ahead of some other teams that have more serious interest, but there’s a lot of boxes the Pirates check.”

If the Pirates could pull this blockbuster off, Chisholm would be a significant improvement in center field over Michael A.

Taylor, who’s managed an OPS of just .537 this season. That pales in comparison to Chisholm, who boasts an OPS of .728 across 94 games.

In closing, Mish suggested Chisholm could be acquired for less than most expect, with the Marlins possibly being open to taking on prospects who are still 2-3 years away from producing at the major league level.