Joe Musgrove did his part. Musgrove, facing one of the majors' most-coveted arms on the trade market, pitched through the seventh inning for a third consecutive start Sunday afternoon. He allowed only five hits, two of which were infield singles, and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning.
Yet, Mets starter Zack Wheeler and two relievers combined for a six-hit shutout, as the Pirates lost, 1-0, to split the series with a last-place opponent at PNC Park. Now, everyone in the home clubhouse must wait to see what, if any, moves Neal Huntington makes before the non-waiver deadline Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Because, for as disappointing as the finish was for all involved, the Pirates have achieved what even their own general manager didn't expect. They're now 55-52, 6 1/2 back of the first-place Cubs and four back in the Wild Card, by winning 15 of their last 19 games. The back end of their bullpen has stabilized and two members of the core are at their best, yet their deadline needs were powerfully illustrated during this four-game series.
TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE, STANDINGS, VIDEO"As players we know what we have here and you see the run we went on the last two weeks," Musgrove said. "We know we’re capable of putting together good games and playing good baseball, but when you add another big piece that really solidifies your team, I experienced it last year when we added [Justin] Verlander in Houston. The energy and chemistry in the clubhouse completely changed on a dime. Everything turned."
Moments before first pitch, Neal Huntington, speaking to reporters in his final weekly press gathering before the deadline, said he's still weighing his trade options and is "open to really anything at this point in time and having conversations on all levels and fronts."
Huntington also all but ruled out trading away expiring contracts, expressing regret in making such moves the past two seasons, admitting it negatively impacted team chemistry and sent a mixed message to his players. On the other hand, Huntington didn't sound like a motivated buyer, speaking more about the risk involved in trading prospects, rather than the potential impact of a deadline acquisition.
Despite the National League race being wide open, the Pirates have just a 12 percent chance of making the postseason, according to Baseball Prospectus' playoff odds, after achieving their first 11-game winning streak since 1996. The two teams ahead of them in the Central Division have already made substantial acquisitions: The Cubs acquired pitchers Jesse Chavez and Cole Hamels, while the Brewers added third baseman Mike Moustakas and reliever Joakim Soria.
Huntington said he must "respect" that the Pirates are in a playoff hunt and voiced regret over not making a move in 2014. "We try to learn all the time from what went well, what didn’t go well, what could we have done differently, what should I have done differently," Huntington said. "We’ll continue to do that. We want to respect that we’re in a playoff hunt and what can we do to enhance our chances this year while at the same time trying to enhance our chances for the future as well.”
It's not as if the Pirates have a flawless roster, either. Corey Dickerson and Josh Bell are both on the 10-day disabled list, although there's optimism both will only require the minimum time. Although they managed to win without both Saturday, the offense did little against Wheeler in the series finale.
Wheeler, viewed as one of the top remaining players on the trade market, pitched six scoreless innings, striking out seven with only one walk. He retired 14 of 16 after allowing two one-out baserunners in the first inning, allowing only four singles and throwing 70 percent of his pitches for strikes. “For sure, we’ve got to keep things going, so it’s a next-man-up type thing," Moran said of playing without Bell and Dickerson. "Personally I’m just trying to help the team win as best I can. I wasn’t able to do that today. We’ll just try to bounce back and get back at it the next game.”
Moran, Adam Frazier, Elias Diaz and Austin Meadows went a combined 0 for 14 with six strikeouts. The Pirates went 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and left six on base. With Dickerson out, Frazier batted leadoff a second consecutive game, and Jose Osuna was the first pinch-hitter used off the bench. Hurdle also opted to sit both Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer.
Huntington could be in the market for a bench bat, although he expressed confidence in both injured players making a quick return, as well as his bench's ability to play well in their absence. Also, the offense has batted .263 over its past 19 games, hitting 27 home runs in that span, and entered Sunday with a league-best 59 runs since the All-Star break.
"He’s been pitching as well as he’s pitched at the major league level," Clint Hurdle said of Wheeler. With Musgrove's start, the Pirates' rotation has pitched through the sixth inning in seven of 10 games since the break, and the club has a 2.73 ERA over its last 18 games. Trevor Williams has pitched 17 consecutive scoreless innings, and Jameson Taillon has a 2.97 ERA over his past 10 starts.
Musgrove, acquired as part of the Gerrit Cole trade and under contract through 2022, lowered his ERA to 3.63. But the rotation would benefit from another proven arm. Nick Kingham lasted just three innings in the 12-6 loss Thursday, and Ivan Nova was unremarkable in a 5-4 win Friday.
The Pirates are reportedly in the market for controllable starting pitching, although there's not much available, as it's become arguably the most valuable commodity in the industry given the cost of starting pitching in free agency. Although Huntington expressed a willingness to part with top prospects, he's been hesitant to do so during his tenure.
"You have that added confidence, but we trust the guys in the locker room right now and I don’t think it’s going to be the end of the world if we don’t get anybody," Musgrove said of Verlander's impact on the Astros' World Series run. "We would like to have another guy to run with us, but, if it doesn’t come to it, we‘re confident in what we have here."
Meanwhile, the bullpen has shown signs of turbulence. Richard Rodriguez, a minor-league free agent signing, has a 2.76 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 53 strikeouts to 10 walks but his command has been erratic over the past month. He's thrown a team-high nine wild pitches and loaded the bases in the seventh Sunday by walking a batter and hitting two others.
Steven Brault and Tyler Glasnow, starting pitchers being used as long relievers, have ERAs of 4.88 and 4.34, respectively. Michael Feliz, also acquired as part of the Cole trade, was demoted to Triple-A this week, forcing the Pirates to call up Alex McRae, a starter with a 1.60 WHIP at Triple-A Indianapolis.
Middle relievers haven't cost much in the trade market, either, as shown with the Braves acquiring Brad Brach and Jonny Venters for international slot money. While Musgrove seemed eager to see Huntington add, Felipe Vazquez, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning Sunday, was indifferent.
"Every team needs something, at least a hitter, but in our case I don’t know what we need," Vazquez said. "From my perspective, I don’t think we need anything. I think we have everything we need right now. Whatever [Huntington's] trying to do, he knows better than we do."
Huntington did not rule out standing pat — which isn't surprising given his tendency to add during the waiver period in August — but he may not have much time to act. The Pirates will host the Cubs for a two-game series Tuesday and Wednesday before playing the Cardinals for three games at home next weekend. Then, the club will embark on a nine-game road trip.
“We’d love to add to the group," Huntington said. "There’s a really good group of players down there that have played really well for the first 40-some games and really well for the last 20- or 30-some games. We would love to add to that group, and we’ll continue to look to do so when it makes sense.”
1. Not worth going all in for a starter.
The three top-tier starters worth trading for all pitch for the Mets. Weird, right? And that poor excuse for a big-league club doesn't plan on trading any of them. Noah Syndegaard is out with hand, foot and mouth disease; Jacob deGrom is reportedly untouchable; and the Mets opted to start Wheeler Sunday, indicating no team has come close to matching the high price tag.
Any of those three would be an upgrade worth trading top prospects for, though I'm not so sure the same can be said for any other starter thought to be available. The Pirates are reportedly not in the running for the Rays' Chris Archer, who is 29 years old and and has already thrown more than 1,000 innings in the big leagues, and the other options aren't great. Marcus Stroman of the Blue Jays has a history of injuries and a 5.20 ERA.
The Orioles two available starters — Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy — have struggled all season. Huntington is unlikely to seek a rental, and there isn't much of a market for controllable starting pitching, unless you're willing to pay a handsome price tag. It's unlikely Huntington would be willing to part with Mitch Keller or even Austin Meadows.
Sure, there are prospects he'd be willing to trade, but dealing from the top is risky considering the Pirates' farm system was ranked 16th by Baseball America, having only two players in the publication's top 100. They don't seem to have the ammunition or the motivation to make such a move.
2. Supplement the bullpen.
The Pirates are unlikely to land Rangers closer Keone Kela, although they reportedly expressed interest in the 24-year-old. The acquisition cost will be too high, and it appears the Braves are willing to part with Luis Gohara, their sixth-best prospect, to obtain Kela. Plus, Kela will get a significant raise in arbitration this offseason.
The Pirates are less motivated to obtain a high-leverage arm since Vazquez, Kyle Crick and Edgar Santana have combined for a 0.76 ERA and 49 strikeouts to six walks this month. Instead, they should address their middle relief. Although the rotation has been surprisingly efficient this month — they've pitched through the sixth in seven of 10 starts since the break — the Pirates can't expect it to last.
After all, the league average for innings pitched per game started is 5.5. It's clear Hurdle has lost trust in both Brault and Glasnow to pitch in meaningful situations — the two long relievers have combined for 75 walks in 132 1/3 innings.
Rather than a pricy late-inning option, the Pirates could acquire one of the many middle-relief options available, including David Hernandez and Jared Hughes of the Reds, Jose Alvarez of the Angels, Craig Stammen or Kirby Yates of the Padres, Jake Diekman or Jose Leclerc of the Rangers, Tyler Clippard of the Blue Jays or White Sox lefty Xavier Cedeño.
None of those pitchers would force the Pirates to trade a prospect of significance, and their successful drafts the past two years have given them enough prospect depth to make such a deal.
3. How about a veteran bat?
Huntington expressed confidence in a bench that now includes Frazier, Osuna, Sean Rodriguez and Jordan Luplow. Frazier's batted .255 in 63 games in the majors this season, Osuna is a career .221 hitter in the big leagues, Rodriguez has batted .174 since returning from a shoulder injury last July, and Luplow has batted .205 in the majors.
Their first option to turn to at Triple-A: Max Moroff, who owns a .193 average in 181 at-bats. This may be nit-picking, but there are veteran bats available, such as Cameron Maybin, Avisail Garcia and Freddy Galvis, a buy-low rental option.
After all, it's clear the Pirates would prefer not to have Meadows serve as the fourth outfielder.