Mark Madden: Why be careful with prospects? Time is now for Pirates to maximize Paul Skenes' window

Yet another column on why the Pittsburgh Pirates have to get a legit bat before MLB’s July 30 trade deadline:

The Pirates aren’t far from a playoff berth. The standings show that, as did the Pirates with their performance in the just-completed home series against Philadelphia, baseball’s best team.

Winning two of three against the Phillies might give rise to the idea that the Pirates are good enough as assembled. That’s a notion ownership would be more than happy to glom onto.

But there are five teams in the thick of the race for the National League’s last two wild-card spots. The other four franchises play to win: Arizona, the New York Mets, San Diego and St. Louis.

Those teams figure to add significantly before the deadline. If the Pirates don’t keep up with the Joneses, they’re likely to be left out in the cold. (If I can pile my cliches into one big, bloody, mangled heap.)

The bottom third of the Pirates lineup is useless, perhaps closer to the bottom half. That lineup will not make the playoffs. Fixing it requires more than one bat, really.

If it takes trading prospects, do it. (They won’t. Bubba Chandler spearheads the next phase of the con.)

Related:

• Mark Madden: Pirates have opportunity to win now with Paul Skenes, but will they follow through?
• Mark Madden's Hot Take: Getting a bat at the deadline will keep deception going for Pirates

I see the marks saying the Pirates need to “be careful.”

Why? This team hasn’t won a playoff series since 1979. Are you afraid that things might go bad, lol? The plane has crashed into the mountain, and several times over.

The time has come to maximize. Paul Skenes’ presence is the window. If there was ever time to take risk, it’s now.

The best option is to trade all our bad players for all their good players.

Barring that, it’s difficult to figure who the Pirates should/will try to get.

Two oft-fantasized examples are outfielders Brent Rooker of Oakland and Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox.

Both acquisitions make sense regarding current fit and, potentially, future use.

Especially Rooker, 29, who’s making just $750,000 and has three years of arbitration starting next year.

Robert, 26, is earning $12.5 million this season on a contract that runs through 2027. But he makes $20 million in each of that contract’s last two years. (But the Pirates could opt out of those two years. Which would be stupid but typical.)

Trading for Rooker, especially, is being trumpeted as this bold move that would prove the Pirates’ intent.

They long since have shown their intent. You’d have to be blind to not see it.

Anyway, what makes you think the Pirates would remotely make the best offer for Rooker? Especially since they want to “be careful” about trading prospects.

I’d trade Chandler and more for Rooker. His prime and arbitration both fit in the Skenes window.

Since none of that will happen, I’d summon Henry Davis from Triple-A and give him a lengthy run in the lineup, either at DH or in right field. Forget catcher. Remove that burden. Just let Davis hit.

Andrew McCutchen’s guile has served him well at DH, and he had a decent series against Philadelphia. But he’s 37. He needs more days off. Use Davis in right field on the days McCutchen is the DH. But play Davis.

Davis has nine home runs in 111 at-bats with Triple-A Indianapolis. He’s hitting .297.

Davis might come back to Pittsburgh and stink, like he mostly has done with the Pirates. He could be a Quad-A player, which would be terrible for a talent who got drafted first overall in 2021.

But at least there’s potential there, not least potential for power. There’s no potential with Michael A. Taylor’s bat.

Jack Suwinski has offensive possibilities, too, despite his season-long struggles.

The Pirates bleat about internal improvement. So use those with the highest ceiling in that regard.

Otherwise, my original advice stands: trade all our bad players for all their good players.