The non-waiver trading deadline is less than two weeks away, and it goes without saying the Pirates will be in the mix as, of course, a seller.

Occasionally, in the recent past, there have been points in the season when overly optimistic fans suggested the Pirates should be buyers. This season, however, has been such a crushing disappointment that at no time was that an issue.

The team has the usual mix of rental players, at virtually every position, ranging from somewhat desirable to please-take-them.

Need a reliever? The Pirates have a good one.

Need a power-hitting outfielder? The Pirates have two who qualify.

Need a professional-hitting (but not home-run hitting) first baseman? The Pirates have one.

Need a third baseman who can't start for the worst team in baseball? The Pirates have one.

This year, though, there's more.

Need a proven major-league shortstop in his prime who is not eligible for free agency after the season? The Pirates have that, too.

Jack Wilson, once considered a key building block of any future Pirates success, is available. No one should be surprised if there aren't a lot of buyers. For one, most contenders are set at shortstop. But even if a contender needed an upgrade at the position, would that team deem Wilson the answer?

Consider:

After an outstanding start (.326 with five home runs in April), Wilson has cooled considerably. He was batting .213 since the end of May going into the game last night against Colorado. Official individual statistics only include players who average 3.1 at-bats for each game their team has played, and there are 90 such players in the National League. Wilson was 85th in on-base percentage. Among National League shortstops, he was 13th of 16.

Wilson added about 20 pounds in the offseason and that looked good with five home runs in April. But in his past 240 at-bats, he has two home runs.

Although his defensive numbers remain pretty much what they have been, Wilson does not seem to be the same player in the field and that could have something to do with his weight. Twenty pounds can help in adding more power and, properly distributed, might increase overall speed. But it's hard to imagine 20 pounds, added in mid-career, being a positive for a middle infielder who relies so heavily on quickness.

Manager Jim Tracy has commented several times, without using names, about the need for his infielders to make more plays. Clearly, Wilson is among those he's talking about.

If Wilson is to be dealt, the best time to get the best return is in the offseason, not now. Contenders are not going to give up critical parts of their team at this point, and we can only hope the Pirates are past the time of trading established players for prospects. After the season, contenders that have not reached their goals are more apt to deal major-leaguers for major-leaguers.

The biggest decision the Pirates have to make involves first baseman Sean Casey. Do they sign him to a contract extension before the end of the month or do they trade him? There are convincing arguments on both sides. On the sign-him side, the team does not have another first baseman ready to step in next season and the chances of landing one in free agency better than Casey are slim. On the trade-him side, Casey's power, never up to standard for a first baseman, has decreased. He had not homered in 134 at-bats going into the game last night and has only three for the season.

Craig Wilson appears to have the highest upside of the available Pirates. He can play two positions or be a designated hitter in the American League. Reliever Roberto Hernandez also should be in demand as a right-handed set-up guy. There will be less interest in Jeromy Burnitz, who had 12 home runs, and Joe Randa, who was batting .383 (18 for 47) since coming off the disabled list.

Such players, all of whom will be free agents at the end of the season, rarely bring much in return.

In 2003, for example, the Pirates had two players that contenders definitely could use -- outfielder Reggie Sanders and outfielder-first baseman Matt Stairs. As of July 30 of that year, Stairs was batting .379 with 11 homers and 24 RBIs in his previous 38 games and Sanders had a .575 slugging percentage with 10 homers in his previous 40 games. General manager Dave Littlefield traded neither, presumably because he was offered little of value in return and felt it was more important for the team to finish strong.

The idea that the Pirates could package three of these players, say Hernandez, Wilson and Burnitz, and get a quality prospect in return is not likely. There are not many contenders with room on their rosters for three new players. That's why such deals are rare at this time of the year.

Occasionally, a surprise evolves from these trades, such as Freddy Sanchez. But for every Sanchez there are 10 flops.

The trading deadline will generate interest until the Steelers open camp, but no one should expect it to alter the Pirates' future.