Cherington needs to make right deal for Bucs
A spot in the baseball’s postseason is there for the taking for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The All-Star break is over and the Pirates entered their three-game series in Cleveland in second to last in the NL Central but only two games out of a Wild Card spot.
The playoffs await them if they can find a way to make a couple positive moves.
There are three Wild Card spots and the Cubs and Phillies occupy two of those currently. Catching either would be a tough task for the Pirates.
The third spot is up for grabs, though. Miami occupies that spot now but the Cardinals are just a game in back and the Pirates lurk right behind.
Also in the mix close behind the Bucs are Arizona, San Diego and Washington.
Pittsburgh needs bullpen help.
Everyone knows it, and it’s not going to come from within the organization no matter what GM Ben Cherington will tell you.
It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. They went into the season without a true closer and both Gregory Soto (12 saves, 4.05 ERA) and the crumbling Dennis Santana (two saves, 5.80 ERA) have failed in that role.
The Pirates have blown 17 saves which is just about half their opportunities so far.
In fact their best reliever has been actually their third best starter, Carmen Mlodzinski (6-3, two saves, 3.24 ERA), who was shipped to the bullpen so that Bubby Chandler could enter the rotation.
Mlodzinski is not a closer option, however, or at least not yet. He’s a long reliever who can shift back into the starting rotation if needed, and that may happen at some point if Chandler and Mitch Keller continue to pitch as they did in the first half of the season.
The bullpen will likely get Wilber Dotel, another long reliever, back shortly and he started out the season very effectively. Yohan Ramirez has pitched well, as has Mason Montgomer and Isaac Mattson at times, but not of those is an option to close.
The Pirates have to make a move to get someone who can shut down games. That pitcher isn’t on the team or in their system right now.
The pressure is on Cherington to find the right deal and bring in that missing piece.
You hear the names. Mason Miller and Aroldis Chapman (who Cherington had a chance to retain after the 2024 season but opted not to) are the top two apparently available but will cost a steep price.
The blundering Mets are likely sellers at this point and do have several good bullpen arms. I like Luke Weaver, a veteran right-hander who has a 2.03 ERA with only one save but 13 holds for a team that hasn’t had many leads. He’s got 43 strikeouts in 40 innings with 11 walks. He had eight saves and 21 holds last season. He should be affordable.
That’s my guy if I’m looking to trade for relief help.
Even if they do acquire a strong arm to add to their bullpen, it’s likely they’ll need even more pitching.
Let’s look at the Pirates’ starting rotation.
Paul Skenes, the ace of the staff, has fallen off drastically compared to last year’s Cy Young season.
No one seems to know exactly why. Is it because he’s not throwing as hard? If so does that mean he has a damaged arm? Have teams adjusted to his vast array of pitches? Did pitching in the World Baseball Classic have any negative effect on him?
The fact is, since allowing two hits in eight scoreless innings in consecutive wins over Arizona and Colorado in May, Skenes has gone 2-6 with an ERA just under 5.00 (4.94).
Both wins in that stretch did come in his last two starts before the All-Star break. Neither were vintage 2025 Skenes, but still he gave up a combined four runs on 11 hits in 11 1/3 innings with only two walks and 11 strikeouts against first-place teams Atlanta and Milwaukee.
Skenes is one of the keys to the Pirates’ playoff hopes. He doesn’t necessarily have to repeat last year’s numbers, and he’s not going to at this point, but if he can steady himself and give the Pirates consistent efforts as he did against the Braves and Brewers then that bodes well for their chances.
Braxton Ashcraft emerged as a surprising All-Star with a 9-3 record and a 3.49 ERA. He’s been the Bucs’ true ace so far but the question will be is he going to wear down?
Ashcraft has thrown 113 1/3 innings so far this season. His career high going in was 73 innings in 2024 pitching for Class AAA Indianapolis and Class AA Altoona.
If Ashcraft fades off in the second half of the season, Pittsburgh’s playoff chances will take a huge hit.
Jared Jones has shown great promise recently after scuffling for awhile after coming off arm surgery and joining the club in late May.
Not only did he throw a scintillating six perfect innings in his last start against the Braves, but he allowed just one run on two hits in four innings the previous start.
Pirates manager Don Kelly has limited Jones’ workload — he’s only hit 80 pitches once — but if the right-hander can build up and finish the season strong he’ll give the Bucs a big boost.
The worry for the Pirates is their rotation after that trio.
Keller could always be counted on for a strong first half before imploding down the stretch, but this year he’s bad pretty much all season at 6-7 with a 5.14 ERA.
Chandler has struggled mightily in his rookie season. His control has been subpar (55 walks to 85 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings) and he hasn’t gone very deep in games, averaging under five innings per outing.
Maybe Mlodzinski is the answer if one of those two can’t get on track.
The Pirates don’t have to worry about their offense.
Sure, it’s unlikely some hitters will be able to keep up the pace they’ve been on. It’s doubtful rookie Esmerlyn Valdez is going to hit .309 while smacking one home run every 9.4 at-bats as he did in the first half.
But Pittsburgh’s hitting attack has remained potent even while missing Oneil Cruz, Konnor Griffin, Spencer Horwitz and Endy Rodriguez.
Griffin’s injury will have the biggest impact. A savvy, talented ballplayer, he is unlikely to return to the lineup before September due to torn finger tendon, which means his chances of claiming Rookie of the Year are now gone.
Cruz, Horwitz and Rodriguez should all be back in the lineup in the next couple weeks.
If a few current players cool off, the influx of those three hitters back should make up for that.
The bullpen is the key, though.
All eyes are on Cherington to see what deal he comes up with.
Rob Burchianti is sports editor of the 缅北禁地 and can be reached at rburchianti@heraldstandard.com