Should the Pirates trade pieces even if they get back into contention?

The month of July will be a very interesting one for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pittsburgh Pirates may be forced into some very difficult decisions over the next month.

As the month of June comes to a close, the Pirates currently sit just 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card berth. One lengthy hot streak and the Pirates should find themselves seriously competing for a fourth consecutive postseason spot the final two months of the season.

With 31 days before the non-waiver trade deadline, the question remains of what Neal Huntington and his staff should do come August 1?

The next 10 days before the All-Star break could make Huntington’s decision very easy.

With a 10-game stretch against Oakland, St. Louis and Chicago (seven on the road), Huntington could be in full sell mode if the Pirates fall too much further back in the Wild Card race by the All-Star break.

That means players such as:  Francisco Liriano, Mark Melancon, David Freese, Matt Joyce, Sean Rodriguez, Juan Nicasio and others could be shopped to contenders.

But the real questions lies in what should the Pirates do if they make a charge and get back into contention?

While Huntington’s focus may shift into buy mode, that doesn’t necessarily mean he shouldn’t be looking to deal a couple of bigger chips as well.

Regardless of where the Pirates stand come August 1, Huntington would be wise to look to move Melancon and possibly Liriano, even if the team finds themselves in contention.

In the case of Melancon it’s a no-brainer.

No matter how the season ends up, there is no chance that the Pirates will make Melancon a qualifying offer after the season. With that in mind, that means they take the risk of losing Melancon for nothing.

Instead, even if the Pirates are in contention, it makes sense for Huntington to look to move his closer at the deadline for help in other areas for this year and possibly next. With Melancon still showing to be one of the most effective closers in baseball, Huntington can look to add to an already strong core. A starting pitcher under control for a couple of years is always on the Pirates radar.

So is bullpen help.

Turning over the ninth inning duties to either Tony Watson or Neftali Feliz could make Melancon expendable. Melancon could easily fetch a couple of arms to strengthen the front end of the bullpen as well.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=””]In the case of Melancon it’s a no-brainer.[/perfectpullquote]Dealing Melancon at the deadline doesn’t mean the Pirates are waving the white flag. Dealing him makes baseball sense if you can strengthen the rotation, bullpen or bench for the stretch run.

The same can be said for Liriano, although I don’t believe the return for Liriano would be as great, given he has an ERA over five. However if Huntington can strengthen an area of the team not only for this season, but for next and create a rotation spot for Tyler Glasnow in the process, it is something that has to be considered no matter where the Pirates are in terms of the Wild Card race.

The next month will tell a lot about what plans the Pirates have for a couple of their stars.

But if the team is in the Wild Card mix, it should still look to move a couple of guys that aren’t necessarily part of the future.

Having such a deep system at the moment could turn seeing guys like Melancon and Liriano being dealt from a negative into a huge positive for the organization.

The right return for Melancon could be the difference in the Pittsburgh Pirates either making a fourth consecutive postseason appearance or watching the playoffs at home.