Pirates home stand report card for May 26-31

What to do with the bullpen?

One hot topic that’s been going around as of late is the Pirates bullpen situation. I think sensible fans would agree that Tony Watson is not fit to be closer, and see Felipe Rivero as an obvious replacement. Clint Hurdle does not see things this way, and we just have to accept that. But the thing that grinds my gears more is that the personnel that makes up the middle relief portion of the bullpen is not as strong as it should be.

It’s one thing knowing that the Pirates middle relief is not stellar. It’s another thing knowing that they have better options right there in the organization.
Do Johnny Barbato and Jhan Marinez seem like solid middle relief options? Was A.J. Schugal not among the Pirates best relievers anywhere for two months last season? Is Edger Santana not having a solid option in AAA? The answer to all these questions is no.

I know middle relief doesn’t seem like a thing worth a gripe But don’t you think the Pirates would have been in better shape to win the series rubber match with Arizona Wednesday afternoon with Schugal and Santana as relief options instead of Barbato and Marinez? A solid middle relief core won’t get the Pirates to the playoffs. But it wouldn’t hurt, either.