These 4 lagging Pittsburgh Pirates will be long gone by the MLB trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates have dropped two straight at home to the visiting Philadelphia Phillies, now 24-22 on the young season. While fans will take that record seven days a week and twice on Sunday after the grueling mediocrity of the last few years, one can't help but feel like the Buccos are slipping in the ultra-competitive NL Central race. Pittsburgh is technically tied for last place in the division with Cincinnati.

There is plenty of room for improvement, both internal and external, which starts with Ben Cherington and the front office being honest about the current state of the roster. These four Pirates should not be on the MLB roster come June:

UTL Nick Yorke

Once a highly touted prospect, Nick Yorke has now struggled to gain traction across multiple organizations. He's only 24, so it's too early to throw in the towel on his development, but the shine has worn off considerably. Yorke is currently hitting .205 with a .577 OPS and 63 OPS+ through 73 at-bats. He's one of three Pirates position players with a negative fWAR (-0.1).

Yorke can hold his own at a few positions, primarily third base or left field, but he's not an elite defender by any stretch. He has generated a decent hard contact rate this season (48.3 percent), with the underlying metrics pointing to some bad luck. Still, Yorke has failed to produce a .700 OPS or better across three seasons in Pittsburgh now. The bat has never really warmed up, and while the versatility is helpful in a bench piece, the Pirates acquired Tyler Callihan (with a very similar skill set) in the offseason.

It's probably too early for the Pirates to waive Yorke outright, but a trip back to the minors feels inevitable.

OF Billy Cook

Billy Cook is 4-for-21 at the plate this season with eight strikeouts, zero walks and zero extra-base hits, good for a .381 OPS. It's a small sample size, but the 27-year-old outfielder has never really hit. He's effectively a pinch runner — and a good one, at that. Unfortunately, his value is basically zilch beyond situational base-running.

Pittsburgh has a lot of speed on the roster already. Oneil Cruz (16 stolen bases), Konnor Griffin (10) and Jake Mangum (five) can all burn rubber. That does not mean Cook isn't helpful late in close games, when a slower runner ends up at first, but the Pirates should prioritize either better offense or better defense with their four bench spots. Pittsburgh's lack of depth, especially with Ryan O'Hearn on the IL, has become a problem. The NL Central race shows zero sign of letting up.

Esmerlyn Valdez, Jhostynxon García and Rafael Flores Jr. are all in Triple-A right now, awaiting their opportunity.

RHP Bubba Chandler

Bubba Chandler remains one of the most exciting young pitchers in MLB, but he's off to a rocky start in his first "full" season in Pittsburgh. Chandler has logged nine starts with a 5.14 ERA and 1.52 WHIP. He has 36 strikeouts, but also 31 walks across 42.0 innings pitched.

While Chandler flashes immense upside with his triple-digit fastball, he simply cannot command his primary pitch at the moment. He fires it middle-middle a lot and is punished accordingly. When he's outside the zone, hitters simply aren't tempted to swing. The changeup plays and Chandler is 23 years old, so he should receive the benefit of patience. That does not mean he will stick in the majors for the immediate future.

The Pirates are deep enough to send Chandler back to Triple-A for more developmental reps and, hopefully, a chance to rebuild his confidence. Jared Jones has begun his rehab assignment and should be back shortly, which presents a perfect opportunity to shelve Chandler.

DH Marcell Ozuna

Pittsburgh does not want to admit defeat on Marcell Ozuna's $12 million contract, but at a certain point, what else can Ben Cherington and the front office do? Ozuna is a DH in his mid-30s with a .589 OPS and a team-worst fWAR (-0.6). Cristopher Sánchez embarrassed Ozuna in Saturday's complete-game shutout, striking him out four times.

There is no sign of a turnaround here. Ozuna soaks up at-bats at DH and restricts Don Kelly's lineup flexibility as a result. He has been an overwhelmingly negative presence in a lineup that has otherwise outperformed expectations.

There won't be a trade market for a player with Ozuna's limited utility and recent track record. The Pirates don't spend money as often as other clubs and would be loathe to light $12 million on fire, but cutting Ozuna is a natural course of action at this point.

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