OK, Pirates fans.

Take a deep breath. Now let it out slowly. If you still need to enroll in anger management class to contain your fury toward the organization, feel free.

But the Nate McLouth trade isn't so bad.

In fact, it's pretty darn good.

And it had to be done.

Yes, McLouth is only 27, he's coming off an All-Star season and a Gold Glove in center field. Yeah, I get all that.

And, yeah, it hurts to lose a popular player who beat the odds and shed the tag of just being an extra outfielder coming through the system.

I get that, too.

But deals in which the Pirates get three prospects for one major league player are the course of action the new management chose when it took over the franchise in 2007.

And they must stay the course if that plan is to have any chance of succeeding.

Granted, it's a crapshoot anytime you deal for prospects. Maybe they'll pan out. Maybe they won't.

If they pan out, the Pirates eventually will win on the field. If they don't, they won't.

If the Pirates do nothing trade-wise, they'll never win. Small market teams win through their own farm systems. Just ask Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Florida and Milwaukee.

Before Neal Huntington and company took over — two short years ago — the Pirates had a talent-thin farm system.

It can't be called talent-rich yet, but it's getting there.

For Xavier Nady, the Pirates got Ross Ohlendorf, now an effective member of their starting rotation, five-tool outfield prospect Jose Tabata and pitcher Daniel McCutchen.

For Jason Bay, they got current third baseman Andy LaRoche, highly touted pitching prospect Bryan Morris, young outfielder Brandon Moss and currently injured relief pitcher Craig Hansen.

For McLouth, they got starting pitcher Charlie Morton, a 6-foot-5 right-hander who is 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in Class AAA, speedy Class AA outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and young mound prospect Jeff Locke.

That's 10 total prospects — three on the 25-man roster right now — for three players.

Add to that the successful signing of Scott Boras-client Pedro Alvarez and Huntington isn't doing too badly.

Yes, the 17th straight losing season is coming and, yeah, it's going to set a professional sports record for futility.

Deal with it.

Huntington and club president Frank Coonelly, who haven't been around for 15 of those years, are trying to stop it.

Build depth and you can deal from strength to fill other holes.

That's what the Pirates did in trading McLouth. Andrew McCutchen, who was hitting .303 at Class AAA, was ready to come up and play center field in his place.

In time, McCutchen will be a better major league player than McLouth, who might have been traded at his optimum value.

I hope Nate McLouth shines for a long time in Atlanta.

He deserves to succeed. So do the Pirates.

And they're taking their only shot at doing so.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.