After a strong start to the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates seem to have lost momentum. If the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t going to challenge for the postseason, they need to trade key resources, according to local media.

Pittsburgh has been on a roll this season. They’ve won back-to-back games to sit atop the standings. They’ve torn through opponents with the grit of young players. Once they hit their stride, there seemed to be no stopping Pittsburgh. However, their inexperience showed in crunch time. During the losing streak, the grass died and they never got back up, going 41-49 for a .456 winning percentage. They finished the first half in fourth place in the National League Central.

Part of the reason for Pittsburgh’s surge from 100 losses last season was the vigor of its young players. They overcame the losses of star player Oniel Cruz and center fielder Choi Man-soo to injury by playing good baseball. The team’s never-say-die attitude became the driving force behind the upswing.스포츠토토

The younger the team, the more important the team atmosphere. “My previous team, the Tampa Bay Rays, also had a young team,” Choi told Sporting News after moving to Pittsburgh. As the players grew, they were able to go to the postseason often. Pittsburgh is also a young team. They’re a young team, too, and they’re going to be scary when they get going,” he said, adding that if Pittsburgh can keep up the momentum, they could be looking at the postseason in the future.

However, Pittsburgh’s momentum has taken a hit. Their chances of making the postseason are slipping away. MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, also assessed the Pirates’ first half on Wednesday, saying, “Pittsburgh has taken a step forward, but there are still steps to be taken.

MLB.com continued, “Pittsburgh is on pace to improve on last year’s record. They have maintained their pace despite frequent injuries. However, with a large number of prospects on the roster, postseason contention is unlikely,” while looking ahead to Pittsburgh’s second half.

If they can’t challenge for the postseason, they should trade key players, he said. Veteran players with expiring contracts are the targets. MLB.com mentioned Rich Hill, Carlos Santana, Austin Hedges, and others. Andrew McCutchen was excluded as a trade target, as he has stated his intention to stay.

MLB.com writes, “Pittsburgh has been a buyer in the trade market for the first time in recent years. But given how the team has fared over the past two months, it may be best to stick with a familiar strategy: trading expiring veterans for prospects ahead of the trade deadline.

With half the season still to go, the Penguins can’t completely write off the postseason. If Pittsburgh can get back on track, they can climb the standings. It will be interesting to see what Pittsburgh decides to do.