Pirates call up prospect from Bailey Falter trade to make debut

The Bailey Falter trade is starting to look better with Callan Moss heating up in High-A and now the other piece of the trade is joining the Pirates. Pittsburgh is promoting left-handed reliever Evan Sisk to join the bullpen and replace Cam Sanders.

Sisk, a 28-year-old southpaw, came with Moss in the trade for Falter and was the only acquisition with major league experience. Sisk is a has a very funky lefty delivery — the soft-tossing sidearm guy posted a 1.69 ERA and 1.80 FIP in the big leagues with Kansas City. Falter appears to have taken his role with the Royals, as he was just demoted to the bullpen there.

While Sisk has had success in the big leagues, his sample size of just 5.1 innings is not enough to label him as a reliable reliever. Of course, the Pirates have had a lot of recent success with players like Sisk, with guys like Isaac Mattson, but the former hasn't even done well in Triple-A this season. With Indianapolis, Sisk has allowed six earned runs, six hits, and five walks across 5.1 innings. Hopefully, the jump to the big leagues can turn things around for him.

Pirates call up main piece of the Bailey Falter trade with Evan Sisk; DFA Ryan Borucki and bring back Colin Holderman.

Alongside Sisk, Colin Holderman will also join the Pirates' bullpen. Holderman has dealt with multiple injuries this season and has struggled in almost every outing in Pittsburgh. Not only that, but he has struggled tremendously in Triple-A. His ERA of 5.51 and 4.91 FIP are not very convincing that he can bounce back. He does have great stuff, just not ideal command.

Ryan Borucki has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move for Holderman. The left-hander has been unable to stay healthy consistently since breaking out in 2023, but now he has a 5.28 ERA on the season. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Pirates bring Borucki back on a minor league deal this offseason.

One new face and one familiar face is joining the big leagues to hopefully find a groove with momentum into 2026. The bullpen needs reworked, so maybe these two can cement their roles for next season.