Should they or shouldn’t they?

The Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves having to make a tough decision and — for the first time in years — that’s a good thing.

Now, whether they make a trade to land a bat instead of trading someone away remains to be seen.

The Pirates wake up this morning with a 35-37 record, this after a four-game losing streak, but just 4Z\x games back in the National League Central. The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros are slipping down the division while Pittsburgh is eyeing teams like St. Louis, Cincinnati and Milwaukee.

Oddly enough, it’s still early, but the Pirates find themselves in a pennant race.

It’s been the pitching that has gotten them this far. No one could have imagined the team pitching the way it has. The starters have a 3.57 ERA with four complete games entering last night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. As a team they have a 3.52 ERA and a WHIP (walks and hits per inning pitched) of 1.32.

They have a closer in Joel Hanrahan (1.39 ERA, 19 saves) and starters Jeff Karstens (2.54 ERA), Charlie Morton (seven wins), Kevin Correia (eight wins, 3.60 ERA) and Paul Maholm (3.29 ERA).

Amazingly, if this team could hit to its potential, it could conceivably be leading the division.

The Pirates are batting .255 as a team with only Andrew McCutchen (10 HR, 36 RBI, 41 R, 14 SB, .276 avg.) and Neil Walker (8 HR, 46 RBI, 38 R) the only consistent players in the lineup.

Players such as outfielder Jose Tabata (3 HR, 12 RBI, .262) and first baseman Lyle Overbay (5 HR, 26 RBI, 25 R, .225) along with injured third baseman Pedro Alvarez (2 HR, 10 RBI, .208 in 125 at-bats) have disappointed, but can still turn their seasons around.

Alvarez can still be that 30-homer threat the Pirates envisioned when he was a first-round pick a few seasons ago.

Granted, the pitching may not maintain this pace, but it won’t have to if the offense can shake out of its doldrums.

The Bucs need something to shake the lineup up just a bit. Not a massive move, but one at say, first base, where Overbay has not produced, or an outfielder that can be plugged in and play on a regular basis.

Jones, who has been picking up the pace of late, should just slide to first base and the Bucs should try to land an outfielder.

The Pirates could dangle Paul Maholm (3-8, but a 3.29 ERA) and even Overbay as bench help to a contender). Maholm is a free agent after this season and, despite his inconsistent career, could command as much as $10 million on the market.

The Pirates are filling in their minor-league system with young, productive players and should not do anything to endanger it.

But a bat in the lineup would make things interesting in a weak division. Management needs to show its fans it believes has a decent shot at making a run for the playoffs and should make the effort to do its part to show it.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.