A salary dump is when a team takes on a bad contract, but also receives a prospect from the team looking to shed the contract. This is a one way rebuilding teams can build up their farm system. It is also something that the Pittsburgh Pirates should look to do.
If you want a perfect example of how a salary dump works, look at the recent Zack Cozart trade. The San Francisco Giants took on all of the remaining money left on Cozart’s contract from the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, while also receiving the Halos’ number one pick from the 2019 draft, Will Wilson.