FanPost

The extra wildcard makes "going all in" seem a little less urgent for a team like the Pirates

We're about a week or so away from the MLB non-waiver trade deadline, and Pirates faithful are probably wondering what they always wonder this time of year: "Will the team go all in?"

All in, for the purposes of this article and this season--adjusting for the team's perceived needs--would be a pitcher the caliber of a David Price. No, we're not talking about A.J. Burnett or Jake Peavy. We're talking about a true ace in his prime, who could be the difference for Pittsburgh if he were acquired.

But would Price be the difference? Sure, he'd obviously be an upgrade, but as of this moment, the Pirates are 2.5 games back of Milwaukee in the NL Central and a game back of the wildcard leaders.

Price, pitching once every fifth day, sure would be a nice get. However, when a race is as tight as the Central is this year, and with all the contending teams in the NL so close to each other in-terms of record, would selling out for an ace pitcher really be the way to go?

If the Pirates were currently seven or eight games up in the division, with a more than healthy shot of advancing straight to a best of five NLDS, I would be more inclined to "go all in" for a Price (or anyone of his caliber--pitcher or hitter).

With Price possibly starting two games of a best of five series, man, now you've really increased your odds of advancing to the NLCS and even winning the Fall Classic.

But, as it stands now, there are many factors that could hinder the Pirates chances of making the postseason even as a wildcard--both internal and external and with or without a top starting pitcher--so why pay the price (no pun intended) that you'd undoubtedly have to pay in order to acquire someone like David Price?

The Angels had to part with three of their top 10 prospects in order to land San Diego closer Huston Street. Can you imagine what the cost would be for an ace starting pitcher like Price, 28, who would still have one more season left before hitting free agency in the winter of 2016?

You could probably say goodbye to Jameson Taillon and Josh Bell (and that may be just the tip of the future).

The Pirates pitching staff isn't as good as it was a year ago, but it's still fairly respectable (a lot better than that lately), so how much better can it be at this point?

It might seem silly to scoff at Pittsburgh acquiring the services of a pitching talent like Price, but I believe the Pirates have a good thing going on right now.

On the heels of last season's euphoric success, Pittsburgh (54-47) has played as well as any team in baseball since early May. Therefore, after a sluggish 10-18 start to 2014, the season-long competitiveness of 2013 appears to be something fans can look forward to experiencing for the foreseeable future.

And even though MLB doesn't have and probably never will adopt a salary cap business model to bring about parity, in adding an extra wild card to each league, it may have given small market fans the next best thing.

Last season, when the Pirates, Reds and Cardinals battled for NL Central supremacy while also all enjoying a rather comfortable edge in the wild card standings, was probably an anomaly, with this year's theme--the top seven NL teams have win totals that range from 54 to 57--being more the standard that you'll see most seasons.

The Pirates have spent over half a decade building their farm system into one that other teams now envy. Why, with so many variables standing between them and another trip to the NLDS, would they want to start undoing what they've done and perhaps decrease the number of years they can remain competitive in this new climate that showcases at least a little more parity than it had for many years?

Going all in? Nah. In this new era, with an increased chance of at least competing for a playoff spot on a fairly regular basis, the Pirates owe it to their fans to keep this train rolling well into the future.

I like the odds of the Pirates winning a World Series title with a competitive window of a decade better than with a competitive window of four or five years.

Would the Pirates odds increase in the short-term with Price? Absolutely.

But if they don't win the World Series this season or next, the odds of them remaining competitive for the long-term would decrease, thanks to Price pitching in New York and top prospects like Bell and Taillon ALSO playing elsewhere.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of the managing editors or SB Nation. FanPosts are written by Bucs Dugout readers.