Pirates can't afford to pass on this bullpen upgrade at trade deadline

A month has passed since Pittsburgh Pirates insider Noah Hiles began ringing the alarm bell regarding the club's bullpen. Even before Hiles' column, it was clear to anyone who was paying attention that adding relief help was going to be a prime trade deadline need for the Pirates. Now, with the lone consistent bright spot, Evan Sisk, going down with elbow inflammation, the need has become even more dire.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic has a solution in mind that Ben Cherington should listen to carefully. The former MLB general manager is proposing that Pittsburgh make a play for Luke Weaver of the New York Mets, and he could be just the kind of arm the team needs.

Luke Weaver is an ideal Pirates trade target, but he shouldn't be the only bullpen arm they add

As Bowden notes, Weaver is ideal because he has experience filling multiple roles. As a former starter, he can work multiple innings at a time if needed, but he can also perform in high-leverage spots as either a fireman or eighth-inning guy. Finally, he has experience closing out games, which he initially gained by usurping former Pirate Clay Holmes as the New York Yankees' closer in September of 2024.

That matters because neither Dennis Santana nor Gregory Soto has proven to be consistently effective closing out games, while the bridge to get there has been shaky as well.

Weaver boasts a 1.85 ERA, 2.49 FIP, 28.7% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate through 37 appearances and 39 innings so far. He's compiled 1.2 fWAR, which is nearly equal to the 1.3 fWAR the entire collection of Pirates relievers has generated this entire season.

The 32-year-old can be plugged into any role that Pittsburgh needs him to fill and is also under contract for 2027 at a $12.5 million salary that is by no means a bargain, but is fair market value.

The Pirates will still need more, though. Ideally, they'll need two or three arms to really right the ship. Weaver won't come cheap, which means Cherington might need to go bargain shopping for the rest of the bullpen help the team requires.

A name to watch could be Lake Bachar of the Miami Marlins, who is an underrated target, though the Marlins might not sell after a hot June has them on the verge of proving that they can contend.

Bowden hints at other possible targets, too. Aroldis Chapman is one, but the former Pirate is expected to be one of the top, if not the top, relievers available. Chapman's teammate, Garrett Whitlock, is the smarter and more cost-effective option, though he won't come at a discount, either.

Jimmy Hegret of the Colorado Rockies is another potential target that Bowden mentions who would be a good fit and shouldn't cost a ton. Grabbing two or three of these arms would be the bullpen makeover the Pirates need, and should be in the realm of possibility for Cherington to land.

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