Pirates might've found diamond-in-the-rough reliever via Red Sox trade steal

Through the rough start for the Pirates, there have been very few positive takeaways from the team. But despite the recent cold stretch, a diamond in the rough has actually emerged from the Pirates' roller coaster of a bullpen.

Ever since getting called up, Chase Shugart has been a pleasant surprise to the team, pitching well out of various situations. Shugart was acquired this offseason from the Red Sox after being designated for assignment.

Finding players off of waivers has been common for Pittsburgh, as that means they are ... well, cheap. Dennis Santana and Ryan Borucki also went through this exact process, and are now some of the most reliable arms on the team. Given how Shugart has looked, it appears that the Pirates have done it again with another diamond in the rough addition.

Chase Shugart's hot start with Pirates is making trade with Red Sox look like an absolute steal.

With the Red Sox in 2024, Shugart made his MLB debut and tossed 8.2 innings, posting an ERA of 4.15 with a 3.86 FIP and an 8.31 K/9. His WHIP sat at 1.27, stemming from an opposing batting average of .242 and an 8.3% walk rate. Those numbers really aren't bad, so it was surprising to see the Red Sox DFA him. Luckily, the Pirates pounced on the opportunity, and his numbers in 2025 have been just what they needed.

Shugart has produced an ERA of 1.23 across 14.2 innings with the Pirates, notching a 3.06 FIP. Opponents are hitting .137 against him, and his walk rate sits at 5.6% to create a WHIP of 0.68.

If those numbers were not impressive enough, he also has limited opponents to an 83.9 mph average exit velocity, which ranks in the 97th percentile. Shugart also prevents hard contact, limiting batters to a 32.5% hard hit rate and a 5% barrel rate. Even though his strikeout rate is low at 20.4%, his whiff rate is still strong at 30.4%.

Shugart has been a consistently solid arm to open up 2025, and that is exactly what the Pirates needed. David Bednar has looked better since being recalled, but he has been very inconsistent ranging from present day to the start of 2024. Colin Holderman has been on a similar track to that as well, completely leaving the Pirates dry with their high-leverage relievers.

Luckily, these under the radar pickups in Santana, Borucki, and now Shugart have completely rejuvenated the bullpen, saving it from a complete disaster. It is still a small sample size, but fans should be very happy with what they've seen with Shugart so far.