Pirates insider doubles down on team's biggest trade deadline need

The Pittsburgh Pirates may not know exactly what their roster will look like by the trade deadline, but one thing is becoming increasingly obvious: if they’re still in the playoff mix by mid-June, the front office’s biggest priority should be strengthening the front of the bullpen.

During a recent mailbag, Pirates insider Jason Mackey was asked what area general manager Ben Cherington should address first if the Pirates are contending this summer. Mackey’s answer was telling.

Not first base. Not the outfield. Not shortstop. Not even third base, where concerns existed entering the year.

Pitching.

That lines up with what the Pirates have increasingly looked like over the first month-plus of the season: a team that has enough lineup competency to compete nightly, but one that still feels dangerously thin in the innings leading up to the ninth.

Pirates must prioritize acquiring middle relief help at trade deadline

The back end itself actually looks fairly stable. Dennis Santana has quietly become one of the steadiest relievers on the roster, continuing to pound the strike zone and limit damage in leverage spots. Gregory Soto gives the Pirates the power left-handed arm they desperately lacked for years, and his swing-and-miss stuff plays in big moments.

That duo can shorten games. The problem is getting there consistently.

The Pirates have experimented with creative pitching usage already this season. They’ve used openers, piggyback outings, multi-inning relief appearances and hybrid roles. At times, it has worked. At other times, it has exposed how little margin for error exists in the middle innings.

As Mackey points out, there's still a need for more information. What happens when Jared Jones returns? Does Carmen Mlodzinski stay in the rotation? Does he become a multi-inning bullpen weapon? Can Wilber Dotel establish himself as a reliable high-leverage arm after flashing 100 mph stuff in his first MLB stint? Those answers matter because they could determine how Cherington attacks the trade deadline this year.

The encouraging part for Pittsburgh is that Mackey didn’t identify glaring positional holes around the diamond, marking a major shift from recent years. Nick Gonzales has likely erased the urgency at third base with his strong start, and there’s still internal belief that Marcell Ozuna’s bat will come around (we'd love for that to happen any time now, by the way).

That leaves the bullpen. And honestly, that’s probably where a legitimate contender should be looking anyway.

If the Pirates are serious about competing in 2026, they can’t afford to keep asking the rotation to be perfect every night just to survive the bridge to Santana and Soto.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow