Clipped from: msn.foxsports.com (share this clip)Rosenthal says that the Pirates could get the deal done and retain both Gerrit Cole and Jameson Taillon. That's an absolute must. There is no way that Pittsburgh is trading either of those guys unless they get a haul in return that they just can't refuse. However, even if they can get one of those guys without giving up one of the top two prospects, it still probably isn't worth it. They are going to have to give up a bunch in terms of prospects. A deal would probably wipe out the system outside of Cole/Taillon, which a small market team like the Pirates can't afford to do. Greinke and Hamels would both just be rentals, as the Pirates could never afford to pay their salaries for the next year. Hamels is going to get a monster deal for someone, and Greinke demands more than what the Pirates could warrant giving to one player as well.
While adding one of those two would certainly help out the Pirates playoffs chances a ton, it's still really hard for a team like the Pirates to risk so much of the future for a one year thing. If they would fail to make the playoffs, they basically would lose whatever they gave up for nothing. Again, a small market team like the Pirates simply can't afford to lose prospects for nothing. They aren't in position to add seriously in free agency, so they have to develop from within, and losing the players you've been developing for years for a two month rental isn't the way to go.
Sorry Pittsburgh, if the Pirates are going to make the playoffs this year, it's not going to be on the back of Zack Greinke or Cole Hamels.