How the Pirates can improve their bullpen and make a playoff push in 2025

Just how bad has the Pirates' bullpen been since July 31? They have the worst FIP and HR/9 rate in the Majors, and they rank in the bottom three in ERA. The impact of this inadequacy has been outsized due to the relief corps’ workload. They have had to cover 34 ⅔ innings over the past eight games, which is eighth-most in the Major Leagues. They coughed up the lead in five of the Pirates’ first seven losses since the trade deadline. If the team wants to make a postseason push in 2025, GM Ben Cherington needs to take one of these three paths to address the bullpen.

The Pirates’ bullpen needs a reset as the team looks toward 2025.

1. Explore the Free Agent Market, but Avoid the Vets

Considering the big move for the Pirates in 2024 was acquiring Aroldis Chapman, this suggestion might not be met with glee. My general thought when Chapman appears is: “Well, here come a bunch of walks, but the fastballs will be impressive!”

There are plenty of relief pitchers out there in the mold of Chapman: aging veterans in search of one last hurrah. Instead, the Pirates should look for young middle relievers. The fourth through sixth innings have been Pittsburgh’s kryptonite this season; Pirates pitchers (both starters and relievers) have a cumulative 4.49 ERA in the middle of the game.

With Ryan Borucki eligible to test the free agency waters, a lefty like Caleb Ferguson might be a good fit here. He’s a bit of a project, but if the Pirates can transform his fastball like they did Bailey Falter’s, Ferguson could become an asset.

2. Search for Internal Help

The Pirates’ prospect list is littered with starting pitching, but there are still only five rotation slots. Pittsburgh currently has four top 10 prospects at the Triple-A level. It’s time to start giving those guys big league experience. 

Mike Burrows, for example, has had a bumpy road back from Tommy John, but he completed five scoreless innings of relief. The Pirates could monitor his innings and recovery while still getting quality production at the big league level. Similarly, Braxton Ashcraft could profile as a big-time reliever. His injury history could make the Pirates skittish to slot him in as a fifth starter, but his velo would play very well in the ‘pen.

3. Trust the 'Pen As Is

Is it frustrating that Colin Holderman and David Bednar are having terrible stretches at the exact same time? Yes. Is it time to panic? Not necessarily. Holderman has a pattern of trying to battle through an injury, falling apart for about 10 games, going on the IL, and then returning to form. If the Pirates can pinpoint the initial cause of the injury, perhaps they can disrupt this pattern and extend Holderman’s window of dominance.

Bednar may also be a quick fix. His stuff, as rated by Fangraphs, is actually better than it was in 2023, but his location is worse. His fastball is falling into the zone rather than dancing across the top, and he’s paying for it. With an offseason to tweak his fastball, he may be able to fix the trajectory of his heater -- and the Pirates’ bullpen in the process.