Pittsburgh Pirates' Andrew McCutchen performs push-ups after diving to avoid a foul ball that was hit down the third base line by teammate Max Moroff in the second inning of an interleague baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

I don’t envy Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington.

Not because the Pirates’ season isn’t, to this point, shaping up they way the team and its fans hoped. More so because Huntington is facing a number of roster decisions with no real answers.

Tony Watson and Juan Nicasio, both set to be free agents after this season, will likely be available on the trade market if the Pirates continue hanging around the bottom of the standings. Gerrit Cole heads into his second arbitration-eligible offseason almost certainly guaranteed to get far more than the $3.75 million he’s earning this year. Jung Ho Kang still sits in South Korea awaiting approval to return to the United States.

But one potential decision is more immediate.

Starling Marte returns from suspension just before the July 31 trade deadline, which is really when Huntington will have some decisions to make.

Since Marte’s suspension began, the Pirates have primarily gone with an outfield of Adam Frazier in left, Gregory Polanco in right and Andrew McCutchen in center.

McCutchen’s sharp decline last season led to a complete reshuffling of the outfield. Marte moved from left to center, Polanco right to left and McCutchen center to right. Though it only lasted a handful of games before Marte was suspended, none of them looked comfortable in their new positions.

There’s suddenly a big question about who goes where when Marte returns (assuming all are healthy).

Frazier is one of only two everyday players hitting above .300 and has looked more and more comfortable in left as the season progresses. Polanco, though still trying to find his power groove, currently has his slash line (.264/.403/.741) closer to his career average and is clearly better suited to right field.

McCutchen spent most of the early season hitting well below his career numbers, leading many to speculate the Pirates missed the opportunity to get anything of value for him in a trade. But since he went 0-5 against Atlanta May 23, McCutchen is hitting .372 (16/43) with three home runs and nine RBI heading into Thursday’s game against Miami.

If he can continue to hit for decent average and power, McCutchen could again demand a decent return in a trade. And for a farm system suddenly not as fertile as it appeared, the potential replenishment might be too hard to turn down.

The problem is, there just aren’t that many suitors at the moment. Looking at teams likely to be buyers at the deadline, none have holes big enough to necessitate pulling the trigger on a deal for the former NL MVP.

The best option might be the Angels, though 12.5 games behind the division lead, they sit just three out of the second Wild Card spot. Their willingness to deal will certainly depend on Mike Trout’s return, and how the team fares in his absence.

To maximize the team’s future potential, Huntington likely has to move McCutchen at the deadline (there’s no way I see them team exercising a $14 million option for him next year), even if the return isn’t as big as it would have been just a couple seasons ago.

Huntington’s in a tough spot, and certainly not an envious one by any means.