3 low-cost veteran relievers the Pirates should target at the trade deadline

The Pirates’ bullpen has largely mirrored Pittsburgh’s season as a whole. Early promise flowed into rocky, uncertain stretches. At times, the whole thing seemed on the verge of falling apart, but here we are about a week away from the trade deadline with the Pirates in the mix. These three low-cost relief candidates could help the bullpen – and thereby the Pirates as a whole – stay in the Wild Card fight.

While much of Pittsburgh’s trade focus has been on a bat, the bullpen has been depleted by injuries and by the need for spot starters. The relief corps is tied for the second-worst left on base rate in the majors. They need a veteran presence as a stopper. That’s a job for JT Chargois.

Chargois has held opponents to a .228 average with runners on base over his career, and he has yet to allow an inherited runner to score this season with the Marlins. He has only allowed two runs this year, both coming on solo homers. Chargois missed most of the first half of the season with a neck injury, but he hasn’t missed a beat in either Triple-A or the majors since his return in early June. He is arbitration eligible for 2025, so the Pirates could get a two-year stint out of him for relatively cheap.

The Pirates need a bullpen boost in order to stay in the race, and these veterans may be the answer.

If the Pirates go the rental route, the Angels’ Hunter Strickland and the Tigers’ Andrew Chafin could be worthwhile trade targets. Strickland should be somewhat familiar to the Pirates’ brass. He played in their farm system and spent time with two division rivals: the Brewers and the Reds. Strickland struggled at Triple-A Louisville last year, but he has had a resurgence since joining the Angels on a minor-league contract in May.

Strickland seems to have rediscovered the form that made him a key piece of the Giants’ bullpen in the mid-2010s. His 6.8 H/9 and 2.6 BB/9 are the lowest since his first full pro season in 2015. The Pirates could pick him up for peanuts, essentially, leaving room for more substantial trade targets.

Chafin would be a bit more expensive, but still a viable rental for a club that typically pinches pennies. His 2.76 FIP ranks 11th in the American League among qualified relievers, and his 11.45 K/9 fits right in with the strikeout-heavy mode of the Pirates. Plus, he could compete with Paul Skenes for “best mustache” in Pittsburgh.

It’s likely the Pirates will need to buy both offense and pitching help at the deadline in order to compete, but these veteran trade options would help the club stay in the Wild Card race and preserve some of their younger arms on a budget.