Pirates make expedited prospect promotion as bullpen nightmare reaches breaking point

According to numerous reports, the Pittsburgh Pirates are finally doing something that has felt inevitable for weeks and promoting pitching prospect Antwone Kelly to make his Major League debut,

The timing of the move is hardly a coincidence. Pittsburgh's bullpen has become one of the biggest problems on the roster, and the organization is now turning to one of its most intriguing young arms in hopes of finding answers.

Kelly has spent most of the season starting at Triple-A Indianapolis, but his profile has always looked tailor-made for a high-leverage bullpen role. The right-hander routinely sits 97-98 mph and can touch triple digits with a fastball that has plenty of life. Pair that with a quality changeup, and it's easy to understand why MLB Pipeline ranks Kelly as the Pirates' third-best pitching prospect (No. 7 overall).

The Aruba native took a massive step forward over the last two seasons, thanks in part to increased velocity and physical development. Like fellow rookie reliever Wilber Dotel, Kelly benefited from working with Double-A Altoona pitching coach Matt Ford, whose influence has helped multiple Pirates prospects unlock more velocity and improve their arsenals.

Pirates call up intriguing pitching prospect Antwone Kelly as bullpen struggles persist

While Kelly's long-term future may still be in a Major League rotation, Pittsburgh's immediate need is obvious.

The Pirates' bullpen has been unraveling for weeks. Entering Friday, the group ranked near the bottom third of baseball in ERA, and recent performances have been even worse. The Dodgers hung a 10-run inning on Pittsburgh's relief corps earlier this week. Less than a week before that, the bullpen famously blew a four-run lead in Houston after recording the first two outs of the inning.

Dennis Santana has struggled to replicate last season's success. Carmen Mlodzinski is still adjusting after being moved out of the rotation. Dotel looked dominant early but recently experienced the kind of rough outing that often accompanies a young pitcher making adjustments at the highest level. Beyond that group, reliable right-handed options in high-leverage situations have been difficult to find.

That's where Kelly comes in. There will undoubtedly be growing pains. Triple-A hitters have already shown that his current pitch mix isn't foolproof, and Major League hitters will eventually build a scouting report against him. That's simply part of the process for any young pitcher.

But Kelly has the type of raw stuff that can immediately play in relief. Short bursts could allow his fastball to sit even closer to 100 mph, while his changeup gives him a legitimate weapon against left-handed hitters.

The Pirates need different options, and they need them now. Maybe Kelly only gives them a month before the league adjusts. Maybe he becomes a permanent bullpen fixture. Either way, this is a move that should have happened sooner.

At a time when Pittsburgh's bullpen is searching desperately for answers, Kelly might be the most intriguing one they've got.