4 teams that should save Braves All-Star Bryce Elder from the minor leagues

1) Bryce Elder could be a building block of the future for the Pirates

The NL Central doesn't hold many great teams, but it should be one of the more competitive divisions in baseball this season. There is no clear frontrunner which means that a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates should be trying to compete to see if they can maybe get closer to the top. For them to do that, they're going to have to improve their rotation.

Their rotation is led by talented right-hander Mitch Keller, but after him, there isn't much. Veterans Marco Gonzales and Martin Perez are decent but unexciting starting pitchers, especially when they're expected to be second and third starters in Pittsburgh. The fourth and fifth spots of the rotation are not claimed as of now.

The Pirates are a team on the rise with several young talented players on their active roster and in the pipeline. Paul Skenes gets all of the chatter, and it's not hard to see why, but there's a lot to be excited about for Pirates fans. Adding another young arm in Elder who comes with five years of team control into the mix would be a great thing for their chances now and in the future.

Trading for Elder wouldn't put Pittsburgh into the NL Central favorites discussion quite yet, but who knows, there are surprising teams every year. If things click and Elder re-discovers his form in a low-pressure environment perhaps the Pirates can surprise some people.