The Pirates are looking to get back to the postseason for the first time in over a decade. Currently within a game of a playoff spot, they are going into the August 3 deadline as buyers. Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that they could make additions to the rotation or the lineup but will be focused on the bullpen. Beazley also says the front office will have the ability to add payroll but cautions that their flexibility in that department will be limited.
Both of those elements are unsurprising. The Bucs have a strong group of starters and a number of good bats but the relief group is clearly lacking. Pittsburgh relievers have a collective 4.42 earned run average on the year, which puts them in the bottom third of the league. Just about any contending club will look at add bullpen arms at this time of year and that’s especially true when the deficiency is clear.
Beazley notes that the club will look to add at least one leverage reliever, maybe more. He says the Bucs will prioritize righties but will also be open to any upgrades. That’s an understandable lean for the front office to have. Arguably, their two best relievers at the moment are lefties. Soto has saved 13 games for the Pirates this year while posting a 3.89 ERA with a 27.6% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 42% ground ball rate. Mason Montgomery has a 3.79 ERA with an even greater pace of strikeouts and ground balls, though also more walks. Brandon Eisert was recently added as a third lefty.
The right-handed contingent of the relief corps is less exciting. Dennis Santana was once a key arm in the group but he struggled badly enough to get designated for assignment this week. Carmen Mlodzinski and Wilber Dotel are in multi-inning roles. Ron Marinaccio was just acquired from the Padres but has a 4.79 ERA on the year. Isaac Mattson has a 4.13 ERA. Yohan Ramírez has a much more impressive 3.21 ERA but is working around a ghastly 13.2% walk rate with help from a 78.5% strand rate.
There are plenty of right-handed relievers who could be available in the coming days, including Mason Miller, Luke Weaver, Jeff Hoffman, Kirby Yates, Antonio Senzatela, Kenley Jansen and more. However, Beazley’s reporting suggests the Pirates aren’t likely to expend huge amounts of prospect capital nor payroll to land a marquee closer.
Miller would certainly require a huge prospect package. The Padres just gave up Leo De Vries, one of the top five prospects in the league, to get Miller last year. No club is as aggressive as the Friars in trading prospects, so they wouldn’t get someone of that caliber now. However, recent reporting has suggested that they would probably look for two Top 100 guys.
The other names wouldn’t require the same prospect cost but are making more money. Miller is only making $4MM this year and is controlled via arbitration for another three seasons. Weaver is making $8MM this year and $11MM next year. Hoffman’s salary is $11MM this year and next. Senzatela is making $12MM this year and has a $14MM club option for next year. Jansen is making $9MM and has an $12MM club option with a $2MM buyout for 2027. Yates is a relative bargain in the group at $5MM.
MLBTR’s Payroll Tracker has the Bucs just over $106MM. That would be a new franchise high, as they’ve never finished a season above $100MM, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Beazley’s reporting suggests they could bump that up a bit but also suggests they are more likely to get a closer that isn’t established, so perhaps absorbing the contract of someone like Hoffman of Weaver isn’t too likely.
In terms of what they could trade away, Beazley reports that it would most likely be prospects, though they are willing to trade from the big league roster in certain circumstances. Oneil Cruz is a big leaguer who has been in lots of rumors but today’s reporting says the Bucs haven’t discussed Cruz trades and aren’t likely to.
That’s an understandable position to take. Cruz has his flaws but is capable of game-changing offense. He’s also making just $3.3MM this year and is controlled for another two seasons. That’s hugely valuable for a club like the Pirates, given their budgetary limits and lack of offense in recent seasons.
Turning to the prospects, Beazley says the Bucs don’t have any guys who are truly considered untouchable, though that might only be a semantic distinction. Teams often say that they are willing to discuss any offers that they get from other clubs but it’s very rare for a top 50 prospect to be moved nowadays, except by the Padres. Right-hander Seth Hernandez and outfielder Edward Florentino are generally considered top 50 guys on a lot of outlets. It’s notable that the Bucs are willing to considering moving those guys but it would still be a shock if it actually happened.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
