A long-awaited Pirates-Marlins trade that forces Bob Nutting to finally pay up

The Miami Marlins will almost certainly deal their rising star utility man, Jazz Chisholm Jr., before the upcoming trade deadline. Due to Chisholm's past of potential character issues, a few teams have crossed him off their trade boards entirely. This hasn't stopped teams like the Seattle Mariners or New York Yankees from casting their nets in the direction of a big fish like Chisholm.

Just recently, the small market Pittsburgh Pirates began their true process to find out if Chisholm would be a good fit in their organization.

Craig Mish of the Miami Herald is the one who broke the news that the Pirates and Marlins had begun "exploratory talks" surrounding Chisholm and a potential trade to Pittsburgh.

This is the kind of deal that is completely outside the realm of how the Pirates normally act. It's completely out of the realm of how team owner Bob Nutting would typically spend his money. But it's also the kind of deal that could turn the Pirates from the laughing stock of the NL Central into the contending team that Pittsburgh fans are desperate to see.

A Pirates-Marlins trade stemming from Pittsburgh's "exploratory talks"

The Pirates aren't the dumpster fire team that has finished under .500 for the last half decade. They're a completely different ball club, heading in a completely different direction. We saw their division rival, Cincinnati Reds, seemingly turn their franchise around when Elly De La Cruz made his debut. It seems as though the Pirates are hitting an even sharper turnaround following the debut of superstar ace, Paul Skenes.

Placing Chisholm in the lineup with Skenes on the bump would have PNC Park rocking like we haven't seen in years.

Chisholm wouldn't be a cheap acquisition. He provides youth, defensive flexibility, offensive potential and a whole lot of team control.

The key to this trade is the Pirates number two prospect, Termarr Johnson. Let me explain why Pittsburgh can do this.

The star of Pittsburgh's future, besides Skenes, is their shortstop, Oneil Cruz. If they acquire Chisholm, they could slot him in at second base or in the outfield. The Pirates also just used two of their top three draft picks on projectable middle infielders. Throw in the fact that their 6th and 7th ranked prospects are shortstops and the Pirates have the ability to trade Johnson, despite him being a valuable asset.

Lonnie White Jr., 21, is struggling this year. He needs a new start with a new team to try to get his bat back on track. He's a glove-first prospect with a ton of speed and potential, but he's slashing a troubling .189/.296/.408 in High-A this season.

Michael Kennedy, 19, comes with a ton of potential and an incredible bit of polish, despite being a teenager. He has an advanced three pitch arsenal that he controls well. The Pirates farm system is loaded with pitching talent though, making him expendable as well.

The idea of trading for Chisholm does a few different things for Pittsburgh. One, it makes their team better (duh). But it could also show the city and the fan base that the front office wants to win. Often times, the fanbases of rebuilding teams can lose hope in their ownership. The Pirates front office could earn some trust from the fans by engaging in a buying move like this.