MLB insider warns Pirates of a Bubba Chandler mistake they can't recover from

There's no use in sugarcoating it — Pittsburgh Pirates starter Bubba Chandler has struggled mightily in 2026.

Entering his next scheduled start against the Houston Astros, Chandler is 1-6 on the season with a 4.85 ERA across 11 starts (52 innings pitched). Chandler's command issues have Pirates fans pointing fingers in all sorts of directions. But the responsibility lies with Chandler and Chandler alone to fix his walk problem and reassert himself as a valuable arm.

Despite Chandler's tough season so far, the Pirates mustn't give up on Bubba just because of a handful of poor starts. Although plenty of impatient fans are already shouting their "overrated" narratives in Bubba's direction, the Pirates organization needs to avoid embracing the idea that Chandler might be a lost cause or a trade chip.

MLB insider Matt Clement pointed out recently that the Pirates can't move on from Chandler too soon in the way they did with Tyler Glasnow.

Once upon a time, Glasnow was a young, up-and-coming starter in the Pirates organization that selected him with the 152nd overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft. Glasnow made his MLB debut for Pittsburgh in July 2016.

The following season, Glasnow struggled, much like Chandler is struggling right now. He finished the season with a 2–7 record and a 7.69 ERA (and was optioned in June).

During 2018 spring training, the Pirates decided to abandon the notion of Glasnow as a starter and made him a reliever. He was traded before the 2018 deadline — along with Austin Meadows and Shane Baz — to the Tampa Bay Rays for Chris Archer.

Pirates can't make Tyler Glasnow mistake with Bubba Chandler

We know how Glasnow's career went from then on. Despite battling multiple injuries while with the Rays (including Tommy John), Glasnow steadily improved as a starter and ultimately found his way onto the Los Angeles Dodgers via trade, becoming an All-Star starting pitcher with the Dodgers in 2024 and winning two World Series rings in Los Angeles.

Glasnow is now viewed as an excellent starting pitcher. There's a reason he's trusted as a premier rotational arm by the most dominant team in the league. It took some time, but Glasnow ultimately grew into the player he is today, and had the Pirates simply been more patient with his development, they'd have benefited.

The message here is clear to Pittsburgh: Don't make the same mistake with Chandler. Bubba is still only 23 years old. There's plenty of growth that still needs to happen, but he has all the makings of an elite starter from a talent standpoint. Living through the ups and downs in his development will ultimately lead to a long-term reward for the Pirates.

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