The Pittsburgh Pirates lost a game they should've won thanks to poor bullpen management and execution? Is it any day of the week?
The Pirates have blown the third-most saves in MLB — now over a baker's dozen following painful defeats to the Houston Astros, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers over the last week — and Don Kelly's group can ill afford anymore.
The bad news is that these losses could very well come back to haunt the Pirates as they challenge the Brewers for the division or chase an NL Wild Card spot. Losses in June count just as much as losses in September. The good news is that the trade deadline hasn't yet passed, and there's plenty of baseball left to be played. The Pirates have several options at their disposal — some of which are internal — that they can try before hitting the panic button.
4 Bullpen changes the Pirates have to make right now
Less Dennis Santana and Mason Montgomery
Santana and Montgomery haven't been what the Pirates expected in 2026. Santana was the closer heading into the season, and one look at the back of his baseball card makes it easy to see why. Santana had a 2.18 ERA last season and 18 saves, which made the Pirates comfortable enough to trade David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the MLB trade deadline.
As for Montgomery, he was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Brandon Lowe deal. The left-hander serves as part of the seventh and eighth-inning bridge to get the Pirates to Gregory Soto, their shutdown closer. His 4.56 ERA suggests Pittsburgh can do better.
Keep Carmen Mlodzinski and Wilber Dotel out of high-leverage situations
The inefficiency of Santana and Montgomery has forced Don Kelly to think outside of the box. Unfortunately, his solutions haven't quite delivered.
The Pirates first moved Carmen Mlodzinski to the bullpen a few weeks ago. While the pitcher himself wasn't a big fan, it did make sense for a Pirates team that was lacking reliable relief arms. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, Mlodzinski just had his worst outing of the season against the Dodgers when he was asked to do a little too much. The same can be said of WIlber Dotel, who thrives as a long relief option but can't cut it in the late innings.
Kelly knows what Dotel and Mlodzinski are. He ought to trust his instincts.
Move Bubba Chandler to the bullpen
As a last gasp of sorts, the Pirates could consider moving Bubba Chandler back to the bullpen and giving Mlodzinski his rotation spot back. Chandler has struggled with command this year, but he has experience pitching out of the bullpen as recently as this season. Chandler has the pitch arsenal to thrive in any situation. For example, in an outstanding outing against the Braves, Chandler didn't enter the game until the second inning. Here's what he had to say about throwing out of the 'pen.
“I think coming in from the bullpen is a lot different,” Chandler said. “There’s a little different adrenaline. It was overall pretty good. I just can’t let stuff affect me."
If Chandler can be better utlized in relief than as a starting pitcher, the Pirates ought to consider the adjustment.
Trade for a back-end reliever
If the Pirates make all the decisions I've suggested so far, there will be a gaping hole in the eighth inning most nights. That's where Ben Cherington comes in.
While it'd be ideal if the Pirates could address all of their concerns in-house, that's not realistic. Kelly has already pulled most of those levers. A trade for a back-end relief pitcher, of which there are expected to be plenty available even months before the MLB trade deadline, is needed if Pittsburgh is going to make a playoff push.
I have suggested Antonio Senzatela before, if only because the Rockies would trade him far earlier than the Aug. 3 deadline. Senzatela is the Rockies closer but could thrive in an eighth-inning role setting the table for Soto. He'd improve the bullpen ten-fold, even if not for a cheap asking price, and give Kelly more to work with.
