'Playing with a purpose': Pirates attempting to avoid another post-trade deadline collapse

After being traded to the San Diego Padres, Rich Hill didn’t take a parting shot at the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates. Instead, the 19-year major-league veteran took a shot at a prediction.

“Looking forward to the future here in Pittsburgh,” Hill said Tuesday outside the home clubhouse at PNC Park. “It looks pretty good.”

Where many see a starting rotation in shambles after losing JT Brubaker and Vince Velasquez to season-ending surgeries and trading Hill at the MLB deadline, the 43-year-old left-hander believes the Pirates pitching staff has the makings of a championship club.

By keeping a pair of All-Stars in Mitch Keller and David Bednar, the Pirates have a staff ace and a closer. They also have young starters in Johan Oviedo and rookie Quinn Priester and two talented right-handers under reconstruction in the minors in Roansy Contreras and Luis Ortiz.

“That’s a huge value to a team that is going to be pursuing a) a division (title), and b) a World Series,” Hill said. “That’s something that being able to see that come around this season is exciting for this club next year. (Nine) games back right now with 55 games to play, I think that’s still something that can be achieved this season.”

LHP Rich Hill reacts to being traded from the Pirates to the San Diego Padres, his 13th team in a 19-year MLB career. pic.twitter.com/DD5Yokiyig

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) August 1, 2023

That’s an overly optimistic view for a team that plummeted from first place in mid-June to last place within a month and one that has gone into a tailspin the past two seasons after the trade deadline on their way to the first back-to-back 100-loss seasons since the mid-1950s.

In 2021, the Pirates won a pair of post-deadline games against the Philadelphia Phillies before losing 15 of their next 17, including eight consecutive in one stretch. Last year, the Pirates swept a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers after the trade deadline, only to lose 17 of their next 21, including seven consecutive.

How important is it for the Pirates to avoid another August collapse?

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“I think that’s kind of rhetorical, right?” Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds said. “It’s been different. … From this year to the past few we’ve had, not taking anything away from who we’ve traded, but I think we almost expected to trade those guys just because of the one-year deals. We still have a ton of talent. I don’t think anybody in here expects to start a downward spiral like has happened in the past.”

The lone remaining veteran with 10-plus seasons of experience, designated hitter Andrew McCutchen, stressed the importance for the Pirates to continue competing over the final two months.

After a 20-9 start, the Pirates (48-59) have a .359 winning percentage since the start of May. Since June 16, when they promoted the first of eight top-30 prospects to the majors, the Pirates are 14-25. There was no drastic drop-off with the rookie additions but no improvement, either.

“Just doing our best to keep them in a place to where mentally they’re coming to the field every day not just going through the motions, being happy to be here,” McCutchen said. “It’s a matter of playing with a purpose and holding them accountable when they’re out there on a daily basis doing their routines. Just staying on top of them, reminding them that we’re still here to win regardless. It’s just to have that mindset every day. It’s me holding the keys to that and doing my job, doing my part to stay on top of it.”

There are signs of progress. Where the Pirates were 21-27 in one-run games last year, they are 14-10 this season. Where interleague play has hurt their record — they are 14-22 against American League opponents — they have only three-game series against the Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees remaining.

The Pirates are hoping help is on the way. They acquired first baseman Alfonso Rivas from the Padres in the Hill/Ji Man Choi trade and left-handed starting pitcher Bailey Falter from the Philadelphia Phillies for utility infielder Rodolfo Castro. Rivas was added to the active roster Thursday.

By trading Hill, first basemen Choi and Carlos Santana and catcher Austin Hedges, the Pirates parted ways with a quartet of valuable veteran voices who quickly became leaders in the clubhouse, dugout and on the field. Their departures were no surprise, as all four were on one-year contracts and will become free agents after the season, but being sellers signaled the Pirates are focused on the future.

By keeping Bednar and Keller, Pirates general manager Ben Cherington avoided a fire sale that sent a strong message to the clubhouse.

“The only message is what we’ve already said: We want to win as fast as we possibly can,” Cherington said Tuesday night. “Certainly starts with me. I’ve got to do my job. Everyone in the clubhouse has to do their job. That’s our focus. Tonight’s game matters. Tomorrow night’s game will matter. There’s a lot to focus on tonight and tomorrow.”

The Pirates have no shortage of motivation, considering they play four games at Milwaukee (58-51 entering Thursday), which is a half-game out of first place in both the NL Central and the wild card, followed by a seven-game homestand that features four games against the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves (69-37) and three against the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds (59-51).

“It’s good for us to go out and compete against teams that have put themselves in position to have a chance to be in the playoffs,” McCutchen said. “It’s theirs to lose right now. We need to do our job as a whole and play ‘em tough. Play how we’ve been playing, not giving up throughout the whole game, staying within the game. Just grind away. I look forward to the series. No surprises. Just go out there and play the game the right way.”

Since snapping a five-game losing streak on July 19 — their 12th loss in 14 games — the Pirates have been playing what McCutchen called “good baseball.” They’ve won six of their past 10 games, including two out of three at the San Diego Padres and against the Phillies before splitting a two-game series against the Detroit Tigers.

What will it take for the Pirates to realize that they are a hot streak away from getting back into the division race and wild-card contention?

“Just by saying that,” McCutchen said. “Seen stranger things the last couple months of the season. It’s possible, but it’s letting them know we’re not out of it. It’s just that same mindset of holding each other accountable, and knowing we’ve got to keep rolling as a whole, as a club: Let’s make this interesting.”