Back in the National League Wild Card Game in 2013, TBS broadcaster Ernie Johnson was talking about Pittsburgh Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington as Marlon Byrd stepped to the plate against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto. It was Byrd's first playoff at-bat and as many Pirate fans remember, Byrd homered in that at-bat and right before he did, Johnson was telling fans of how Neal Huntington was pushing a lot of "right" buttons that year. Byrd was acquired by the Pirates after the non-waiver trade deadline and immediately helped the Pirates, especially in that Wild Card Game. Once again, Neal Huntington is doing it and pushing a lot of right buttons this season.

Jung Ho Kang: Huntington went out this off-season and spent $5 million just to sit down and be able to negotiate a contract with Korean infielder Jung Ho Kang. Kang is batting .299 thus far in 2015 with 7 homers, 34 runs batted in and an OPS of .826. Furthermore, Kang finished the month of July with a .379 average and thirteen extra-base hits. According to Elias Sports Bureau, no Pirates rookie has had as high a batting average and as many extra-base hits as Kang in one month since Hall-of-Famer Paul Waner hit .381 with fourteen extra-base hits in September 1926. Kang could get some votes for MLB Rookie of the Year and deservingly so. Pirates fans must credit Huntington for going out and finding that piece for this team. One has to really wonder where the Pirates would be without Kang, especially when considering that Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer are both out for extended amounts of time.

A.J. Burnett: Neal Huntington also went out and was able to sign veteran starter A.J. Burnett for one last year. Burnett finished the first half of the year strong, earning his first ever All-Star appearance. Burnett pitched himself to a 7-3 record with a 2.11 ERA in 119.1 innings pitched before the All-Star Break and also struck out one hundred batters in that time span. Burnett is 1-2 with a 10.13 ERA since the break but he is historically a second half pitcher. The Pirates also placed Burnett on the 15-day Disabled List Saturday so the time off could very well help Burnett. Either way, a few bad starts do not overshadow the great pitching performances Burnett has brought to the Pirates.

Francisco Cervelli: Sticking with guys who were brought in during the offseason, catcher Francisco Cervelli has filled the void left by Russell Martin very nicely as well. Cervelli is hitting .299 this year and each and every time at the plate he battles hard. On top of that, Cervelli has shown some nice defense behind the plate as well and this was another great signing.

Joakim Soria:  Now let's get to some new guys who Huntington brought in before the Trade Deadline that recently passed. Joakim Soria was excellent out of the bullpen for the Detroit Tigers for a couple of years now. Soria has a career 2.60 ERA in eight seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, and now the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soria is a two-time All-Star and has only allowed one run in his last fifteen appearances, which includes a scoreless inning of work on Friday night against the Reds in Cincinnati.

Aramis Ramirez: Aramis Ramirez is a former Pirate reunited now and he has not been great but he fills an area of need. Ramirez was brought in due to a lack of depth along with the fact that Mercer and Harrison are down right now. Ramirez has not been good in his short time with the Pirates, batting just .154 with 4 hits in 26 at-bats but two of those hits are doubles and he has two RBI's as well. This was not a great signing, but it did help fill an area of need, which is the Pirates bench. Whether it be Kang at third base and Mercer at shortstop when healthy or whatever other lineup Clint Hurdle may roll out, at least Ramirez could come off of the bench.

The Pirates also acquired Michael Morse, J.A. Happ, and Joe Blanton before the deadline. While none of these trades have been any big names, except maybe the Soria deal, they do help the Pirates. Morse is a right-handed batter so the odds are that he will play some first base with the Pirates and maybe a change of scenery from Miami to Pittsburgh helps his approach at the plate. Morse is a career .276 hitter, but he's struggling this year hitting just .213.

Blanton and Happ are both projects that the Pirates have enjoyed getting their hands on in the past. The Pirates feel that with some guys they can turn their careers around, regardless of their track record and their past. With A.J. Burnett down, it appears one of them will be called upon to start for the Pirates sometime in the near future.

Neal Huntington continues to make the right moves and he needs to be given the credit he deserves. Too often one can hear around Pittsburgh how Huntington is doing something wrong, like how he traded Travis Snider away this off-season. However, both of the guys acquired in the deal have not been bad at all though they are low-level minor leaguers. The bottom line is that no matter how much scrutiny Neal Huntington may get, fans need to think more clearly. A lot of people are saying that the Pirates needed another starter, obviously one better than Happ or Blanton, but it did not happen. While that may be true down the road, the Pirates are still winning and time and time again they have shown on the field why Neal Huntington should be praised for the work he has done with this team. Him and Clint Hurdle have changed Pittsburgh baseball culture for the better. And there are no signs that they will go back to losing any time soon.