Pirates shut down closer talk as Jared Jones nears return from injury

The idea sounds tempting on the surface. Triple-digit velocity. Swing-and-miss stuff. A bullpen that has had its share of uneven moments early in the season.

Why not make Jared Jones a closer?

Because the Pittsburgh Pirates know better — and now that his return timeline is coming into view, they’re saying it out loud.

As Jones inches closer to a return from internal brace surgery, general manager Ben Cherington made one thing clear during his appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s Pirates Insider Show: the organization is not entertaining that conversation.

“He’s a starting pitcher, long-term, he’s a starting pitcher,” Cherington said. That should end it.

Jones’ first rehab outing at Single-A Bradenton only reinforced why. Yes, the radar gun grabbed headlines — eight of his first 11 pitches touching 100 mph, topping out at 101. But the more important takeaway wasn’t the velocity. It was the completeness.

Jones threw all of his pitches — fastball, curve, slider, changeup — and he threw them for strikes. That’s not a reliever’s profile. That’s a starter checking boxes. And for a Pirates team that has spent years trying to build sustainable pitching from within, abandoning that path for short-term bullpen help would be a step backward. Especially now.

Pirates remain committed to developing Jared Jones as a starting pitcher long term

This is an organization that has already shown a willingness to think creatively with pitching usage — openers, piggybacks, managed workloads — particularly under manager Don Kelly. If anything, Jones’ return will likely fit into that broader plan, not replace it.

A piggyback situation with Carmen Mlodzinski makes sense in the short term. Jones can pitch in controlled innings, maintaining a gradual buildup and keeping him healthy while still impacting games. The Pirates are trying to build something sustainable for the long term, and starters like Jones are the foundation of that.

It’s easy to look at a bullpen ERA or a blown save and start dreaming up quick fixes. But organizations that sustain success don’t react that way. They stay aligned with what their players are — not what’s convenient in the moment.

The Pirates still see Jones as part of the starting pitching blueprint. So while the closer chatter might continue outside the building, inside it, the message is firm — and frankly, refreshing.

The Pirates aren’t rushing. They aren’t panicking. They’re developing a starter, and they're not apologizing for it.

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