Bullpen Pitchers Have Been Pirates’ Unsung Heroes So Far

Now the good: In the absence of Messrs. Bednar, Holderman, and Chapman, the bullpen has shone. At the close of Wednesday’s action, the eight pitchers who comprise the current bullpen have a collective 2.16 ERA and 1.114 WHIP. Three of the eight relievers were tied for the team lead with 0.5 WAR as of Jackie Robinson Day. Of course, that latter stat is due as much to the pathetic performance of Pittsburgh’s hitters as it is to the bullpen’s performance, but that’s another story.

Meet the Pirates Bullpen

All eight relievers on the active roster were acquired in deals that were met with ridicule by Pirates fans on social media. Let’s meet the cast of characters.

The Left-Handers

• Ryan Borucki (4.50 ERA, 1.125 WHIP in nine games), signed as a free agent in May 2023 after being released by the Chicago Cubs. That year, his WHIP was 0.744 before being derailed by an injury in 2024.
• Caleb Ferguson (0.90 ERA, 1.000 WHIP in 10 games), signed as a free agent this offseason. In 2024, he posted a 4.64 ERA and 1.491 WHIP with two teams.
• Tim Mayza (3.52 ERA, 1.043 WHIP in six games), another offseason free agent signee. He coughed up the lone home run surrendered by this group so far. Last year, he recorded a gaudy 6.33 ERA and 1.617 WHIP with two teams.
• Joey Wentz (1-1, 0.93 ERA, 1.138 WHIP in seven games), a September 2024 waiver claim from the Detroit Tigers. After putting up a 5.37 ERA for the Tigers, his ERA in eight games with the Pirates was 1.50.

The Right-Handers

• Justin Lawrence (1-0, 1.04 ERA, 0.923 WHIP in eight games), a spring training waiver pickup from the Colorado Rockies. In 2024, his 6.49 ERA was as ugly as his 1.777 WHIP.
• Kyle Nicolas (one earned run surrendered in 1 1/3 innings), the lone survivor from the three-player package acquired from the Miami Marlins in the 2021 Jacob Stallings trade.
• Dennis Santana (2.16 ERA, 1.080 WHIP, and one save in eight games), plucked from the waiver wire last June after the New York Yankees parted ways with him and his 6.26 ERA.
• Chase Shugart (one run allowed in 4 2/3 innings), acquired in a seemingly innocuous offseason trade with the Red Sox for a minor league pitcher.

Pirates Bullpen Has Been a Bright Spot Recently

One notices right away that this group has recorded just one lone save. As a team, the Pirates have three saves, one by Bednar and one by Thomas Harrington (since dispatched to Triple-A), along with Santana’s. There’s been a dearth of save opportunities. Nevertheless, it’s been an effective group.

During spring training, Shelton declined to designate Bednar or anybody else as his closer, although Bednar was thrust into the first save situation of the year. Since Bednar departed for Indianapolis, save opportunities have gone to Borucki, Harrington, and Santana on a mix-and-match basis.

Got His Mojo Working

Meanwhile, Bednar appears to have his mojo back. In five appearances covering five innings, he’s unscored upon in Indianapolis. There’s been no timetable announced for his return. Similarly, there’s been no official word on Holderman’s expected return. It’s a safe bet that the Pirates will find room for both on the active roster once they’re deemed ready. It will be interesting to see how Shelton employs them and shuffles the Pirates’ bullpen roles once they return. The thought here is that Shelton shouldn’t ruin a good thing. Once they return to the active roster, Bednar and Holderman should be made to earn high-leverage roles. There seems to be no need to designate a closer.

Shelton must be drooling over the possibility of No. 1 prospect Bubba Chandler joining the rotation at some point this season and Bednar and Holderman regaining their past form to join an already-tough bullpen. The bad news is that even with that strong pitching, the Pirates won’t be contenders unless they start to hit the ball and eliminate the bonehead mistakes in the field and on the bases. But that’s another article for another time.