ESPN

When do you give up on a franchise? It's a simple question, but that doesn't necessarily mean it has an easy answer for baseball fans in Pittsburgh these days.

The city has championship teams in the NFL and NHL, and while there's some rebuilding to do without DeJuan Blair, the University of Pittsburgh basketball program gives hoops fans something to look forward to in the winter. What the Steel City doesn't have is a competitive baseball franchise. And while the folks running the show say they're trying to change that, should Pirates fans -- or the remaining players -- believe it after Tuesday's pair of trades makes it four starting outfielders dealt since the beginning of last season?

• SportsNation blogger SteelCityKing1982 says Pirates ownership is living up to the "irate" part of the team's nickname and can't understand trading away Eric Hinske and Nyjer Morgan to the Yankees and Nationals, respectively.
• Also a fan of all things Pittsburgh, blogger TheKidSero was on board with trading away Nate McLouth earlier this season but is dumbfounded at breaking up the Andrew McCutchen-Morgan combo in the outfield.
• Blogger Godlike_82, a Yankees fan, chimes in that while he's comfortable in his team's position, he's worried about the game in general when teams like the Pirates, Royals and Nationals continue to struggle on the cheap.
• Groups: I'm not a frontrunner; I'm a Pirates fan! | Pittsburgh: City of Champions
• Chat: Ask Baseball America's Jim Callis about the Pirates' farm system at 2 p.m. ET

“

I understand the reasononing behind the trades. Their farm system is unproductive and they are on pace for another losing season. However with only six games behind the nl leading brew crew I dont think its time for a fire sale. Getting rid of the talent is only going delay them another season of making the playoffs. All I gotta say is they better be active in free agency next year because we have the pitching now we need the power.

” -- steelsityswammi

“

Pittsburgh fans should boycott this organization and do not buy any tickets for the remainder of the year.

” -- iceman4342