The Pittsburgh Pirates have a number of attractive pieces they could dangle should they eventually wish to sell, though general manager Neal Huntington doesn't plan to include his ace Gerrit Cole in that conversation.

"Our expectation is that Gerrit is going to be a Pirate for a while," Huntington told Dustin Dopirak of DK Pittsburgh Sports.

Huntington was speaking in response to a feature from the New York Daily News that speculated the Yankees could make a pitch for Cole should they still be in contention at the trade deadline.

An All-Star in 2015, Cole is off to another strong start this season, posting a 3.14 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts over 43 innings.

The 26-year-old is owed $3.75 million this season and has two more years of arbitration eligibility before he hits free agency in 2020.

The Yankees entered play Sunday tied for first place in the American League East, while the Pirates sit last in the National League Central.