Pirates face a Mason Montgomery decision that could reshape their bullpen

Pittsburgh Pirates fans can argue about Don Kelly’s decision to pull Mason Montgomery after seven pitches Thursday night, but that debate might be obscuring the more important question.

Why isn’t Montgomery closing games?

Kelly’s explanation for using Montgomery for only one inning in Pittsburgh’s 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds was reasonable enough. Montgomery hasn't pitched two full innings this season, and the Pirates have noticed some carryover when they extend him beyond three outs, particularly when he has to pitch again shortly afterward.

Over a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, preserving their best reliever has some logic. But if Pittsburgh is going to treat Montgomery like its most valuable bullpen arm, perhaps it should start deploying him like one.

Pirates should shift Gregory Soto into setup role, make Mason Montgomery their closer

Montgomery worked a seven-pitch, 1-2-3 eighth inning against the bottom of Cincinnati’s order Thursday. Gregory Soto then drew the top of the lineup in the ninth, walked two batters and eventually allowed the winning run on Nathaniel Lowe’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Montgomery should have remained in the game. It does, however, illustrate why the Pirates should consider flipping their late-inning roles altogether.

Montgomery has increasingly looked like Pittsburgh’s most trustworthy leverage option, while Soto’s volatility can become especially dangerous in the ninth inning, when there is little margin for recovery. Thursday was a perfect example. The Pirates issued nine walks as a staff, and Soto’s two in the ninth helped turn a tie game into another painful loss.

Using Soto earlier wouldn't eliminate that risk, but it would give Pittsburgh more flexibility when things begin unraveling. If Soto gets into trouble in the eighth, Kelly can make a change. If the closer gets into trouble in the ninth, there may be nowhere left to turn.

There’s also something to be said for defining Montgomery’s workload more clearly. If the Pirates believe his “sweet spot” is one inning, then give him the most important one whenever circumstances allow. Rather than occasionally asking him for four outs or debating whether he can stretch to six, Pittsburgh could simply build the back end around Montgomery getting three outs in the ninth.

None of this absolves the offense, either. The Pirates managed two runs against Rhett Lowder, who entered Thursday with an ERA above five, and they have now lost three straight to fall to .500. But close games are going to determine whether Pittsburgh stays in the playoff race, and its bullpen hierarchy still feels unsettled.

The Pirates already appear to know Montgomery is their best reliever. The next step might be admitting that their best reliever should also be their closer.

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