Bob Nightengale: Cubs interested in Pirates former All-Stars Mitch Keller, David Bednar

Keller and Bednar have been two of the Pirates’ best pitchers this season.

The MLB trade deadline is over one month away, and the Pittsburgh Pirates could be in a prime position to capitalize.

No, not to be significant buyers to contend for a playoff spot, but a prime seller… that could also buy for the future.

The trade deadline is July 31 at 6 p.m., and the Pirates have plenty of candidates who could be dealt.

Players on expiring deals like Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andrew Heaney, and Tommy Pham seem like obvious choices. The Pirates haven’t been shy about signing free-agent lefties and flipping them at the deadline, like Tyler Anderson, Jose Quintana, and Rich Hill the past few years.

In his latest trade deadline article for USA Today, longtime baseball writer Bob Nightengale points to a few Pirates who could be destined for other teams. Will Paul Skenes be one of them? Not a chance, according to Nightengale’s piece.

“Please, forget about the fantasy of the Pirates even considering trading ace Paul Skenes, so don’t even bother calling,” Nightengale said. “Now, if you want starters Mitch Keller or Andrew Heaney, or closer David Bednar, or infielders Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ke’Bryan Hayes, or outfielders Bryan Reynolds and Tommy Pham, the Pirates will have an operator standing by to take your calls.”

The rentals don’t come as a shock, but the owner of the highest-paid contract in team history does. Bryan Reynolds is in the midst of his worst season as a Pirate.

Reynolds, 30, is slashing .233/.304/.373 with a career-worst .677 OPS, through 75 games. He owns a -0.5 WAR and only 13 doubles, eight homers, and 39 RBIs. Reynolds is supposed to be the Pirates’ best hitter. Instead, it’s 38-year-old Andrew McCutchen. Great if it’s 2015. 10 years ago.

Reynolds is signed through 2030 with a 2031 team option. If the Pirates can find a way to move off Ke’Bryan Hayes’ deal, it would be surprising to see him traded.

Despite being a Gold Glove winner and the favorite at third to win a second, Hayes goes through prolonged streaks where he can’t hit the ball off the tee and not ground out to short.

A bit hyperbolic? Sure, but Hayes is under control through 2030 with only eight extra-base hits and two home runs. He owns six home runs in his last 170 games.

Trading Hayes would be to open a spot for a premier bat at third, while dumping salary to do it. A Reynolds trade, at its lowest value, doesn’t make sense and is selling a stock at a low point. Not getting your hand for your buck. If the Pirates are going to trade Reynolds, this is not the time.

The two most intriguing names are Mitch Keller and David Bednar, both former All-Stars. The Pirates lost three-of-four games to the Chicago Cubs earlier this month and are looking to add pieces from their division rival.

“The Chicago Cubs, who have dominated the NL Central but have seen their lead getting a little too close for comfort, are one of the teams who would love to get their hands on Keller and Bednar,” Nightengale said.

Entering Thursday, the Cubs lead the NL Central by three games on the Brewers, 4.5 on the St. Louis Cardinals, and six on the Reds. The Cubs sit 48-48, the second-best record in the NL.

If the Pirates were to deal Bednar and Keller, especially in the same package, Ben Cherington needs to acquire a significant offensive threat. Pairing them together in a trade is the most likely way to do it.

Despite a flabbergasting 1-10 record, Keller owns a 4.02 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through 94 innings. In 16 starts, Keller has allowed two runs or fewer in nine starts. A seven and six-run performance against the New York Yankees and Houston Astros, respectively, have inflated an ERA that would otherwise be sitting around 3.70 or better.

Keller delivered six strong innings of two-run baseball on June 15, allowing two hits and two walks compared to three strikeouts. Bednar took the loss on an unearned run in the 10th inning.

Bednar picked up where he left off with a shaky start to the season and was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis, reportedly sending shockwaves through the clubhouse.

In 31 outings, Bednar owns a 2.93 ERA and 39 strikeouts through 27.2 innings. The 30-year-old reliever from Mars has registered a 2.03 ERA since returning from Indianapolis with six earned runs allowed in 26.2 innings. Bednar hasn’t allowed a run in nine innings this month.

He locked down a 2-1 win in 10 innings on July 13, capping the team’s lone win of the four-game series.

Cherington is under the microscope to make a significant move. He must do everything possible to surround Paul Skenes with 2-3 more significant bats. If not, it’s wasting a general talent. Cherington has a month to make a decision and decide what’s best, but trading away hitting for bats makes too much sense in a small sellers market with 20-25 teams still in the race to the playoffs.