3 Pirates playing their way out of the team's 2027 plans

The Pittsburgh Pirates still have games left to play in 2026, but September is already providing some clarity about what their 2027 roster should — and shouldn't — look like.

For a team that should enter next season expecting to contend, there can't be many roster spots reserved for players simply because they're familiar. Pittsburgh needs to turn over the bottom of the roster, redirect money where it matters and, in at least one case, decide whether a talented player is worth the headaches that have accompanied him.

These three Pirates are making those decisions easier.

3 Pirates playing their way off of Pittsburgh's 2027 roster

Carmen Mlodzinski

The frustrating thing about Carmen Mlodzinski is that the talent isn't really the problem.

He's pitched to a 3.87 ERA across 114 innings this season while bouncing between the rotation, bullpen and bulk-relief assignments. But the Pirates also can't pretend what happened earlier this season didn't happen.

When Mlodzinski was removed from the rotation following Jared Jones' return, he openly showed his frustration with the decision and later told the organization he wasn't ready to pitch out of the bullpen. Pittsburgh subsequently placed him on the restricted list.

Being upset about losing a starting job is understandable. Making yourself unavailable to pitch because you don't like your role is something else entirely.

Mlodzinski eventually returned and said the right things, but the episode raised legitimate questions about his attitude when the organization asks him to fill a role he doesn't prefer. With Skenes, Jones, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft giving Pittsburgh a foundation for its rotation, Mlodzinski increasingly looks like an offseason trade candidate rather than someone the Pirates need to accommodate in 2027.

Gregory Soto

Saturday at Wrigley Field felt like another reminder that Pittsburgh doesn't need to force a reunion here.

Gregory Soto inherited a 3-2 lead after seven strong innings from Paul Skenes and couldn't protect it, issuing an RBI walk before hitting Nico Hoerner with the bases loaded to force home the winning run in a 4-3 loss.

To be fair, Soto's overall season hasn't been bad. He owns a 3.08 ERA with 14 saves. But he's also playing on a one-year, $7.75 million contract and is eligible for free agency after the season. That money can be better spent elsewhere.

Mason Montgomery has emerged as a legitimate late-inning weapon, while Pittsburgh has other controllable bullpen pieces. Instead of giving another sizable contract to a veteran reliever, the Pirates should take Soto's $7.75 million coming off the books, add to it and go find another veteran starting pitcher.

This rotation has enormous upside, but Keller's injury and Ashcraft's late-season arm issue have reinforced how quickly pitching depth can disappear.

Billy Cook

Billy Cook's case is considerably simpler. He's hitting .176 with a .443 OPS, zero home runs and two RBI in 51 at-bats this season.

Cook has speed, can handle the outfield and provides some defensive versatility. But players occupying the final few spots on a contending roster need to have at least one carrying tool that consistently impacts games. And right now, Cook hasn't shown enough offensively to justify keeping that spot reserved for him.

The Pirates should spend this winter raising the floor of the roster. That means fewer automatic returns, fewer extended auditions and fewer roster spots awarded based on what someone theoretically might become.

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