Pirates bullpen depth to be tested, is it deep enough?

One of the consensus amongst fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates this offseason is that their bullpen was looking to be in really good shape. However, there will always be injuries so it is important to bring in other options as well. The Pirates took the time to do that exact thing this offseason. This left some wondering as to why the team was investing resources into a strong area already.

Well, it is a good thing that the Pittsburgh Pirates added more depth because it will be tested in the early going. So far the Bucs have seen Dauri Moreta and David Bednar be sidelined by injuries. Bednar is dealing with a lat issue, one that he and the team are not overly concerned about:

On the other hand, there is much more to be concerned about in terms of Dauri Moreta's injury. He left his appearance on Sunday, March 3rd against the Orioles. Moreta was having a disastrous inning when he was seen shaking his elbow. This obviously prompted his removal from the game.

Both Bednar and Moreta are important parts of the Pirates bullpen. Bednar obviously is the closer and an all-star at that. Moreta had a bit of a breakout season in 2023 and looked to build on it. However, both are in danger of moving time. Moreta obviously has the more concerning outlook at this point. However, the more time Bednar misses the less likely he is to be ready for the start of the season. After all, Spring Training is key for pitchers to build up their arms to be ready for the long season.

The season has not even started and the Pirates could be down two relievers already.

So it is a good thing the team added some solid depth options. Pitchers like Josh Fleming and Brent Honeywell both have had success at the big league level in their previous stints. They also added some intriguing pitchers who are more on the outside looking in like Connor Sadzec, Ryder Ryan, Michael Plassmeyer, and Cam Alldred. A couple of prospect-type relievers who were 40-man roster cuts by other teams and hoping to get a better opportunity with the Pirates were brought in as well. This includes lefty reliever Kade McClure and right-hander Hunter Stratton.

The team added a lot of pitchers this offseason there is no denying that. While the team had plenty of issues last season the development of the bullpen was a bright spot. Still, injuries will always happen and are already impacting the Pirates. Hopefully, out of this group of arms, a few will emerge as legitimate options.