The Pirates are trying to bring Gregory Polanco to Pittsburgh sooner rather than later.

The organization’s No. 1 prospect and potential right fielder is tearing it up at Class AAA Indianapolis, hitting .395 with nine doubles, three triples, four homers, 28 RBI and seven stolen bases at last check.

The idea of a Pirate outfield of Starling Marte, Andrew McCutcheon and Polanco being under contract for a period of years isn’t far from becoming reality. The Bucs recently offered Polanco a seven-year, $25 million deal that included three club options.

That offer was rejected.

If it was accepted, Polanco would be the Pirates right fielder right now. Instead, both the club and the player will wait until June — the Pirates securing another year of control with Polanco in the process — before getting together.

The wait is frustrating, considering Jose Tabata is hitting .247 with no homers, Travis Snider .223 with three homers, and utility man Josh Harrison recently got a few starts in right field in hopes of finding some offense at that position.

Polanco is a 6-foot-4, 220-pound five-tool prospect. How quickly or well he adapts to major league pitching is anybody’s guess. There’s certainly no guarantee he’s going to hit the ground running in that regard.

Small market teams have to milk what they can out of their top prospects. It’s the way of the world in MLB these days.

Of course, the Pirates have had five other right fielders in town within the past six years, lost them all for virtually nothing, and any of them would be a significant offensive upgrade over what’s out there now.

Jose Bautista hit 43 home runs for the Pirates from 2006 to 2008, but was never consistent enough to land a regular starting job. He’s hit 161 home runs from 2010 until now with Toronto, including nine this year, and is hitting .300.

Marlon Byrd, who signed with the Phillies as a free agent, hit .318 with three homers in two months with the Pirates last year. He’s hitting .311 with four homers and 22 RBI for the Phils.

Rajai Davis came up through the Pirates system, but was never given a real look in Pittsburgh. He’s hitting .330 with 12 stolen bases for the Tigers this year.

Garrett Jones was allowed to walk as a free agent after a sub-par 2013 season.

He hit 27 homers with the Bucs in 2012 and has five homers and 15 BI with the Marlins so far this season.

Brandon Moss was acquired from Boston as a young major leaguer ready to blossom. He wilted here, but hit 51 homers for Oakland over the past two seasons and has five homers and 25 RBI so far in 2014 for the A’s.

No one can find fault with the Pirates for getting rid of any of those players at the time they did. No one can predict the future, after all.

It’s just funny sometimes how things do — or don’t — work out.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle