These are challenging times for Neal Huntington. He has much to decide before the trade deadline at the end of the month. Not about this season’s Pirates team. It’s clearly not good enough, 42-47 at the All-Star break, 7 games behind first-place Milwaukee. I can’t believe so many are saying Huntington should buy before the deadline. Really? I’m talking about next season’s club. Will it have a chance to contend for a championship with Starling Marte for a full season and perhaps Jung Ho Kang? Should Huntington keep Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole to enhance that team’s chances or look to trade one or both this month in an attempt to build an even brighter future a little further down the road?
Ron Cook: OK with Pirates thinking ahead to 2018
