The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to begin the second half of the season by hosting the Miami Marlins at PNC Park. The Pirates currently sit at 39-54 and in third place in the National League Central, which is pretty much where everyone expected the Pirates to be with the team they have now.

Being in third place is a gift for the young Bucs as they continue to add pieces to their farm system for the future. However, don’t let the third place deceive you. The Chicago Cubs have had a tough season and find themselves in familiar territory at the bottom of the National League. They are the only reason the Pirates find themselves where they are now (at least in the division). Pittsburgh currently sits 10.5 games outside the postseason picture, one place the Pirates won’t see this year, next year, or even the year after.

The Bucs start a challenging second half as they will face multiple playoff teams or teams looking for a postseason berth. The field will be more competitive, especially now with the MLB adding an extra Wild Card spot. The Pirates will still have to face the division leader Milwaukee Brewers twice, St. Louis three times, Philadelphia twice, the N.L. East-leading Mets twice, Boston, Toronto, and two more games in the Bronx against the league’s best team.

Making matters worse, the Bucs might have to do this without arguably their three best players in Bryan Reynolds, All-Star David Bednar, and Jose Quintana. With the trade deadline coming up in about a week, the Pirates are no question sellers. With all the rumors going around, there have been reports that the Pirates rejected offers for Reynolds and Bednar. Now, this doesn’t mean anything necessarily. Either the offer wasn’t enough, or the Pirates didn’t feel it was the right time.

They could still trade both (not necessarily together) if the price is right. What the Pirates need is starting pitching prospects. Quinn Priester has had a solid season down on the farm, but he is not enough. A nice return for Reynolds or Bednar would be a solid starting pitcher for the future. But if (and that’s a big IF) the Pirates decide to keep Reynolds and Bednar, then they would be great leaders for the next generation.