Pittsburgh Pirates: What to Do With Bryse Wilson

After the worst game of his career, the Pittsburgh Pirates need to decide what is next for right-hander Bryse Wilson

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Bryse Wilson had his worst start of the season so far. In just 2.2 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wilson gave up six earned runs, double his previous high from this season and the most he’s ever given up in any appearance in his career. Although Wilson wasn’t expected to carry the pitching staff, his starts have been anything but serviceable. As a starter, he’s given up as many earned runs as innings pitched.

The Pirates will need to figure out what is next for the right-hander, and soon. With Roansy Contreras approaching the major leagues and Max Kranick on standby, the team will have to decide who gets moved out of the rotation, and Wilson is currently the team’s weakest link among their starting pitching options.

The Pirates could option Wilson to Triple-A when Contreras comes up. He does have one more option year left, and the team may want him to keep stretched out as a starting pitcher in the event he needs to make a start. Wilson has performed well at Triple-A, so that it could work as a confidence booster as well.

The alternative is to use Wilson out of the bullpen. Wilson has ten total appearances as a reliever, including two this year. Wilson worked as a piggyback starter to left-hander Dillon Peters to great success. It was only 7.2 innings, but he racked up 10 strikeouts, walked just a single batter, and gave up three hits. Wilson did see an uptick in velocity during his last start, and a move to the bullpen could help maintain that uptick.

It’s a bit premature to give up on the 24-year-old right-hander who was a former top 100 prospect, but continuously using him as a starter has not been working so far. They should continue to use him as the next guy up after Peters. Not only does this keep Peters in a role he’s excelled in, but it would also put Wilson in the best chance to succeed. It also lets the Pirates keep Wilson in the majors once Contreras is promoted.