The hump is in sight, time to get over it.

                      The late days of July is where the dream ended last season. It was the proverbial "hump" the Pirates failed to get over that season.  The Pirates added bats like Ryan Ludwick and Derek Lee in hopes they would carry the offense into playoff contention the remainder of the way.  That methodology obviously did not work. The Pirates offense was in trouble last season, but it was the pitching that failed them in 2011. The 2012 Neal Huntingdon learned his lesson and went out and addressed the pitching. Wandy Rodriguez is a veteran lefty that comes at the right price. They gave up average prospects with little hope of them turning into star major leaguers. They also got Houston to take on some salary and he will help form a solid rotation for next year.  Wandy Rodriguez will help sure up a rotation and likely take over for a shaky Kevin Correia.  The pitching seems loaded up and ready to go into August and September and it can carry the Pirates to a lot of wins, as it already has this season.

                The Pirates have not stopped with pitching. The call up of Starling Marte will add a spark to an offense that was humbled against the lowly Cubs. Marte is a fast aggressive outfielder that will breathe some fresh air into the lineup. He will play an exciting brand of baseball and his skill set will remind people of Andrew McCutchen. The comparisons stop there, similar skills, not actual similar game.  It is near impossible to predict how he will play for the rest of the season and beyond, but the hype and anticipation will come into fruition tomorrow night in Houston. The offensive help should not stop there. The Pirates can still stand to upgrade with a Right Fielder, First Basemen, or Shortstop.  Chase Headley, Shane Victorino, and Hunter Pence are all potential trade candidates. There are sure to be more options beyond those three. Will the Pirates be willing to trade prospects to upgrade in two spots?  I believe they will. Gerrit Cole and Luis Heredia seem untouchable. Jameson Taillon is pretty near that level as well. I could see a guy like Alan Hansen being traded. This team is good, but they need another bat. A series with five runs against the fifth place Cubs is pretty telling that they could use one. This team is seriously not far off from getting over the hump, they need to get over.