3 massive problems the Pirates' front office needs to deal with right now

On the heels of an impressive series win in four games against the Chicago Cubs, and a magical comeback in game one against the Giants, vibes for Pirates fans were high. This continued into game two after a Bryan Reynolds grand slam capped off a five-run fourth inning. In a Jared Jones start, this seemed like it would be plenty considering how dominant the righty has been, and he was good that night, working six innings of three-run ball.

Yet, the bullpen's struggles continued as they allowed six runs over the final three innings, spoiling what was a great yin-and-yang day as the offense and pitching seemed to click. Guess what happened the next night? The offense and pitching worked in cohesion like a well-oiled machine, scoring five runs through four innings with yet another grand slam from Joey Bart. And yet again, the bullpen gave up another six runs over the final three innings.

Even after taking two of three from the suddenly injury-riddled Braves, it's getting pretty tiring for Pirates fans. After begging for offensive production from anywhere and making all sorts of moves to try and spark the offense, they are clicking. At the same time, fans are seeing one of the best young cores of pitchers grow and dominate together, but it is all spoiled by timely mistakes and bullpen woes.

It's good to see the front office willing to make the moves (like sending down Jack Suwinski in hopes he can figure things out), but there has to be more accountability. They need to make a bold move. Call up some help from Indianapolis or go out and acquire someone. Today we look at three moves that this front office needs to make right now.

Get the bullpen some help

The Pirates bullpen played a big part in the team squandering away another series win against a solid Giants team, and their struggles weren't just present in this series. Since May 1, the bullpen has put up the second-worst ERA in baseball and the worst in the National League. The bullpen possesses elite stuff with a 9.75 K/9 during that time which ranks fourth in baseball, but with the elite stuff comes a ridiculous lack of control. During that same time period, they are walking nearly five batters per nine innings; they are just non-competitive pitches.

The frustrating part for Pirates fans is the fact that the ownership group did a lot to try and address the bullpen. While many fans wanted them to add a solid starter (and ownership opted for the cheaper route with Martin Perez and Marco Gonzales), they doled out a fairly large contract to Aroldis Chapman (one-year, $10.5 million), who has been the worst in baseball when it comes to walks (10.38 BB/9, 2.18 higher than any other qualified pitcher).

While guys like David Bednar and Hunter Stratton have solid walk and strikeout numbers, they have been hit hard. This bullpen is a mix of guys who can't control the zone and the other half is guys who are in the zone but are getting hammered. Someone like Ryder Ryan, who pitched well before a trip to the injured list, could provide this bullpen with a more valuable arm. Perhaps a journeyman that is hungry to prove that he can pitch in the league like Ben Heller (16.8 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 in Triple-A Indianapolis) could send a message that they will make moves if you don't perform.

Ownership needs to make a move and it needs to happen now. The starting pitching that you have, paired with how well the offense has been of late (fifth in runs scored since May 11) could make a serious push before the trade deadline (they currently are three games back of the final wild card spot).

Commit and open the window

This Pirates club is very close to putting it all together. They have the pitching, one that can carry this team for a long time. This team will never be a powerhouse offense but rather a team that will limit runs and try and take advantage of the low scoring games.

As the graduation of some of the best pitching prospects in the game happen, it emphasizes more and more how close this team really is. As these pitchers continue to grow and the three-headed monster that is Skenes, Jones and Keller carries this team, they need to offense and bullpen to carry their weight as well.

This is where the ownership comes in. It's hard to rely on the continued development of prospects to make the leap and become legit contributors when you are opening your contention window. Sometimes prospects take a couple of years to figure out, as many Pirates fans I am sure are familiar with.

With as much talent currently on this roster along with the disappointing seasons of some of the NL Central teams, it is time that ownership opens this contention window and starts to become aggressive. You need a first baseman and don't think that option is in house? Go acquire a solid decent first baseman with a couple of years of control. Your bullpen is struggling to get outs? Go get a decent mid-leverage reliever to bridge the gap between your rotation and Bednar. I am not saying to go make a trade for a year and a half of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to solve the first base problem, but get creative, get someone that is proven to be a solid contributor, because as good as these players are, the window for contention can close as soon as it opens.