Pirates already aggressive in trade deadline bullpen push

The Pittsburgh Pirates have surprised many around the MLB world with their 33-29 record. Now, they look poised to enter the MLB trade deadline as buyers.

Pittsburgh won’t go and sell the farm system. They are still being realistic about where they stand. Still, the Pirates have been aggressive in trying to add some bullpen help, via Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“The team, which on Monday traded righty Justin Lawrence to the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations, is actively pursuing bullpen help, according to people briefed on their discussions,” Rosenthal wrote. “One rival executive joked, “That’s not news. Everyone is looking for ‘pen.” But the same exec said the Pirates are being more aggressive than most clubs in that search.”

The Pirates already shook up their bullpen when they traded Justin Lawrence to the Minnesota Twins. But Pittsburgh is well aware they need to bring in talent to their organization as well. Entering Thursday’s games, the franchise ranked 19th in the league with a 4.32 bullpen ERA. If they’re actually going to make some noise in the NL Central, the Pirates know their bullpen needs a boost.

Even if they aren’t World Series ready in 2026, Pittsburgh has seen their roster gradually improve entering their current campaign. Paul Skenes has become a yearly Cy Young candidate while Konnor Griffin is one of the more exciting prospects like baseball. Brandon Lowe has proven to be a strong addition while former top prospects like Jared Jones and Bubba Chandler.

With some added bullpen help, perhaps the Pirates can sneak into the playoffs a bit earlier than expected. Continued success would at least prove to the organization that they’re ready to buy rather than sell off.