The Pirates have spent July in that awkward middle ground where the record says “maybe,” but the roster says “not quite.” They’re still hanging around .500, still within a few games of the National League Wild Card race, and that’s enough to keep the door open on buying. It is not enough to hand out protection to veterans or keep redundant pieces around just because they’ve been there all year.
They already showed they’re willing to make a move from a place of depth before the deadline even fully arrives. Joey Bart was shipped to Atlanta in the June deal that brought Hunter Stratton back to Pittsburgh, and Stratton has since been recalled after Evan Sisk landed on the injured list with left elbow inflammation. If anything, that’s the clearest sign yet that “useful” may not be enough anymore.
That reality puts a few familiar names in a much shakier spot than they were a month ago.
Marcell Ozuna is the easiest place to start. The Pirates brought him in to steady designated hitter and bring some pop to the middle of the lineup, but that has not been how this has played out.
Through 58 games, he is hitting .202/.286/.324 with seven home runs, 26 RBI and a .610 OPS. For a player whose value is supposed to come almost entirely from the bat, that’s a rough return.
What makes it worse for Ozuna is that the Pirates now have other ways to use those at-bats. Esmerlyn Valdez has pushed his way into the lineup with a 1.096 OPS across his first 21 games, and Endy Rodríguez has given Pittsburgh an .872 OPS while also offering more flexibility when he isn’t behind the plate.
If the Pirates land an outfielder, first baseman or a real designated hitter at the deadline, Ozuna becomes even harder to justify. If they don’t, they’re essentially saying they’re willing to live with a non-impact bat at the one spot built for offense.
Pirates insider @JMackey_PGH thinks Marcell Ozuna's time with the Pirates is running out. Ozuna is a DFA candidate when Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz are back.
"He doesn't fit into their offense right now" pic.twitter.com/3cr5yp07Za
- Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) July 3, 2026
Gregory Soto is in a different kind of danger, but danger all the same. The bullpen has been too shaky for anybody in the late innings to feel truly safe, and Soto’s numbers haven’t been strong enough to settle that down. He has a 4.25 ERA with 11 saves in 15 chances over 37 appearances.
That’s not a meltdown. It’s just not the kind of ninth-inning certainty a team hovering around the playoff line can afford to trust blindly. If Ben Cherington brings in a legitimate high-leverage reliever - and that would make sense - Soto’s role could shift fast.
The Evan Sisk injury only adds pressure to the situation. Before going on the injured list, Sisk had been one of Pittsburgh’s best arms, putting up a 2.23 ERA in 32 appearances.
With him out, the Pirates need more reliability, not less. Soto may not be in line to lose his spot on the roster, but the closer role should absolutely be up for grabs.
Then there’s Jared Triolo, the kind of player teams usually like to keep around. He can handle multiple infield spots, move around when needed and give a manager some defensive breathing room.
That matters. It just doesn’t guarantee he’s safe.
Triolo is hitting .238/.312/.315 with a .627 OPS in 56 games, while Nick Gonzales has been one of the steadier bats in the lineup at .307/.363/.390. Tyler Callihan has also shown real offensive upside in a smaller sample.
On top of that, Konnor Griffin, Brandon Lowe, Nick Yorke and other internal options are either already in similar lanes or pushing toward them. Not everyone in that group can be treated like a lock.
Triolo’s versatility makes him useful, but it also makes him the sort of player another club could reasonably ask for in a deadline conversation. He’s not the headline piece in any deal, but he could easily end up as part of a package for bullpen help, a bench upgrade or a steadier bat.
In Other News...
Cubs Face A Draft Risk They Really Cannot Afford Again
The Cubs head into the upcoming MLB Draft with a familiar need hanging over the board: pitching, and especially pitching that can actually move the needle in an organization light on high-end arms. That urgency makes the first round feel less like a luxury pick and more like a chance to start fixing a long-running problem, even if the pool of college arms comes with the usual medical questions.
Chicagos caution is understandable after recent swings on injured pitchers such as Cade Horton and Jaxon Wiggins, and it has left the club wary of repeating the same mistake. One of the names drawing attention comes with enough arm-related concern to make the Cubs think twice, which is exactly the kind of draft crossroad they can ill afford to get wrong again. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Finally Got The Boyd And Bregman Boost They Needed
The Cubs opened their three-game set in Baltimore with a 5-2 win, and the night had the kind of shape they have been looking for from two of their bigger additions. Matthew Boyd gave them six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, his most extended outing since coming off the injured list, while Alex Bregman came through with the sort of timely contact that can change a game when runners are on base.
Boyds line was the bigger story, especially after he worked through a couple of baserunners and still kept the Orioles off the board, and manager Craig Counsell made clear afterward how much that mattered. Bregman also helped push the Cubs into control with an RBI single and another run-producing play later, giving Chicago a needed boost from the middle of the order even as some of the lineups struggles continued to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Deadline Pressure Is Growing Around One Problem They Can't Escape
With the amateur draft still occupying most front offices, the trade market has not fully come into focus yet, but the Cubs already know the kind of problem they will be trying to solve. Chicagos pitching staff has been hit hard by injuries, leaving the club in a spot where the need is less about sorting starters from relievers and more about simply finding healthy arms. Craig Counsell has framed the deadline ask in broad terms, and that makes sense with so many pieces unavailable.
The list of sidelined pitchers is long enough to shape how the Cubs think about July, from Justin Steele and Cade Horton to Hoby Milner and Daniel Palencia. Jameson Taillon is at least moving in the right direction after a rehab outing in which he worked 3 1/3 innings and 45 pitches, and he is expected to make one more rehab start before rejoining the rotation after the All-Star break. Even then, Chicago may have to manage him carefully early on, which only underscores why the deadline pressure around pitching keeps building. [Read more 🡒]