A Pirates-Angels trade to get Pittsburgh a much-needed offensive boost

It's officially trade deadline season! The MLB trade deadline is gaining some excitement with each and every passing day.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to get in on the action after rumors began emerging that they could be conservative buyers ahead of the deadline. What I mean by this is that they would look to add players under team control to be a part of their roster for 2025 and beyond.

It seems as though they are beginning in that direction, as Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Pirates are discussing and trying to get a trade done for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward. Also to note, FanSided's Robert Murray recognized the rumors and noted that "nothing has ever been close" in terms of the deal.

A Pirates-Angels trade to bolster the Pittsburgh lineup for years to come

Ward fits the Pirates plans perfectly. He's under contract through 2026 and is currently slashing .238/.321/.417 on the season. Beyond that, he's been a big time run creator, scoring 43 times and driving in 44 runs.

While the deal isn't close to being done right now, things could change very quickly in these discussions, especially once we get closer to the July 30 trade deadline. The Pirates have the prospect capital to get a deal done here, but they need to be meticulous to not lose any of their valuable prospects.

Given the team control in Ward's contract and the upside of the deal, the Angels hold all the leverage. That leaves them to acquire a struggling top ten prospect, an excellent southpaw pitcher and a young lottery ticket hitter in this hypothetical.

The key here is that the Pirates keep all their prospects that have a direct path to the big leagues.

Lonnie White Jr., 21, has shown upside in his pro career, but he's struggling this year while slashing .190/.294/.410 in High-A. The 21-year-old is seen as an athlete-first prospect who has high-upside if he can learn to get on base at a higher level. He's looked overmatched since being elevated past rookie ball.

Hunter Barco, 23, has shown incredible ability in his professional career, but hasn't dominated the way that he would have hoped to fly through the minor leagues. He's been a solid pitcher because of his advanced arsenal, but he could use the addition of another pitch to take him to another level.

Tony Blanco, 19, packs some of the highest-upside among thre back half of the top 30 prospects in the Pirates system. He's a 6 foot 7 utility man who packs a punch when he makes contact. His .305/.385/.505 slash line this season shows that he's moving in the right direction.

In order for the Pirates to acquire an outfielder with team control while also doing so early in the month of July would require them to match the Angels value for Ward and then some.