3 potential reliever trade targets for the Pittsburgh Pirates who are getting unlucky

Andrew Nardi

Many fans would say they want the Pirates to go after Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins to help the bullpen depth. While no one should be opposed to adding Scott, I think Andrew Nardi would be a better addition. Scott, similar to Ottavino and Brebbia, is only a temporary solution. But Nardi is controlled through 2028, giving the Pirates a potential long-term left-hander in the bullpen.

Nardi's ERA is just a hair over 5.00 at 5.01. But he has a 28.3% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate. He ranks in the top 15 among lefty relievers in the K% and K:BB ratio. He also has limited home runs very well with a 0.39 HR/9. A 3.3% HR/FB ratio is propping that up some, but his 7.9% barrel rate has also helped him limit quality contact.

Past Nardi's ERA, you have a 2.32 FIP, 3.46 xFIP, and 2.92 SIERA. The lefty reliever also has an above-average 94 DRA-. Some of his woes have been because of the Miami Marlins' lack of defense. He has a .355 batting average on balls in play. Again, the Pirates are far from the best team when it comes to defense, but the Marlins are far worse with -19 DRS and -18 OAA.

Another reason Nardi would be a good trade target is because his stuff is good. Stuff+ puts him at 109. Nardi's fastball sits 94-95 MPH with above-average vertical and horizontal movement. His slider has 11.7 inches of horizontal break, the ninth-highest mark for any lefty pitcher this season.

Nardi is what the Pirates need. He's a solid lefty reliever with multiple years of control remaining. He's someone they can rely on beyond 2024 and has plenty of promising aspects to his game. He'll turn it around on a better team, especially one that specializes in developing left-handed pitchers.