The Pittsburgh Pirates are aiming for the postseason, but it’s never a bad time to look ahead to what’s to follow in the offseason.
Pittsburgh currently sits at .500 on the season with a 56-56 record. They’re currently 7.0 games back of the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Their best hope for a postseason berth will be an NL Wild Card spot, which the Pirates are now 4.0 games back of.
A key part of the Pirates turning things around these last two months will come with the bullpen. The team added Jalen Beeks and Josh Walker at the MLB Trade Deadline, but the two players they’ve leaned on all season are David Bednar and Aroldis Chapman.
Chapman has been the most consistent arm in the bullpen this season, which is why he landed as Pittsburgh’s biggest pending free agent heading into the offseason, according to MLB.com’s Will Leitch.
Leitch writes that Andrew McCutchen is worth considering and may return for another year, but Chapman will be the type of arm that teams “find difficult to resist in the offseason.”
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The 36-year-old has a 4-4 record over 41 2/3 innings, posting a 3.67 ERA and 67 strikeouts while adding four saves. He’s been key for the Pirates in high-leverage spots this season and will continue to do so down the stretch.
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