As Jed Hoyer’s front office searches for upgrades to the Cubs pitching staff, they don’t have to look far.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the only MLB teams that is clearly out of the playoff race and will definitely be sellers come trade deadline time on July 31.

Reports surfaced Wednesday afternoon that indicated the Cubs and Pirates have had talks involving some of Pittsburgh’s pitchers…but not Paul Skenes. He’s not going anywhere, at least not right now.

But Mitch Keller and David Bednar are two intriguing arms that would represent significant additions to the Cubs pitching staff if the two sides ever work out a deal.

USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale wrote about the two team’s possible connection Wednesday:

The Chicago Cubs, who have dominated the NL Central but have seen their lead getting a little too close for comfort, are one of the teams who would love to get their hands on Keller and Bednar. Every contender but seemingly the Seattle Mariners are seeking a starter, reliever or both.

Marquee Sports Network contributor Bruce Levine confirmed the report:

As both said, all the power right now resides with teams like the Pirates. Only six teams are currently out of the playoff race, which means it will be a sellers’ market and the demand for pitching will be high.

Of course, things could change over the next five weeks leading up to the trade deadline as more teams fall further back in the standings.

[ESPN links Cubs to several intriguing trade targets]

The situation with the Pirates is further complicated because teams have a bit of pause before trading within the division. It’s not quite as taboo as it once was, but teams sometimes have a harder time pulling the trigger on a deal that could help their division rival get better now or in the future.

That said, the Cubs have a strong farm system with prospects that are knocking on the door of the big leagues — players that could be enticing for a rebuilding team like the Pirates. Hoyer and Co. are also going to be motivated to add to the roster to take advantage of a season in which the Cubs look like they could possibly make a deep playoff run.

Keller is a 29-year-old right-hander the Cubs are very familiar with, having seen him in the division over the last seven years. He has pitched against the Cubs 14 times over that span, including seven times at Wrigley Field.

His record this season looks rough (1-10) but that’s not really on him, as he has posted a solid 4.02 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. His strikeouts are down (7.0 K/9) but he has limited home runs at the best rate of his career (0.6 HR/9).

Keller’s best season came in 2023 when he made the NL All-Star team and went 13-9 with a 4.21 ERA and 210 strikeouts in 194.1 innings. He is signed through the 2028 season, meaning he would be more than a rental for any team acquiring him at the deadline.

He would represent an upgrade in a Cubs rotation that has been hammered of late and just sent Ben Brown down to the minors. Rookie Cade Horton has pitched well, but his workload will be limited. Veteran Colin Rea has also struggled recently, leaving Jameson Taillon, Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga — who will return from the injured list Thursday — as the only locked-in members of the rotation for the rest of the season (health permitting).

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Bednar turns 31 in October and has been one of the game’s best closers for most of the last half-decade. He led the NL in saves (39) in 2023 while posting 2.6 WAR and a 2.00 ERA.

The veteran right-hander struggled mightily last season with a 5.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 62 games. He has bounced back this year, going a perfect 11-for-11 in save opportunities with a 2.93 ERA and a career-high 12.7 K/9.

The Cubs have found stability in their bullpen over the last couple months but a player like Bednar can help take the group to the next level as a high-leverage arm who could pair with the likes of Daniel Palencia, Brad Keller and Porter Hodge as right-handed options for manager Craig Counsell.