Pirates’ Surplus Of Pitching Prospects Could Address Bullpen Depth

As the Pittsburgh Pirates look ahead to next season, there are issues they need to address if they want to take the next step and make the playoffs.

One of the biggest issues the Pirates faced this season was a lack of production from the bullpen. Pittsburgh’s bullpen ranked 27 in the league in ERA and blew 36 leads, seven of which happened in the ninth inning. They didn’t have a reliable closer either, with David Bednar being removed from the closer role for the last month of the season.

Pittsburgh’s surplus of pitching prospects may be just what the team needs to improve the bullpen according to Sports Illustrated’s Nathaniel Marrero.

“The answer to the Pirates’ bullpen problems may not be that far away and could come from a farm system that’s rich with solid arms,” Marrero said. “Of the team’s top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline, seven of the top 12 are pitchers. Among those prospects who are projected to be ready for 2025, four, including top prospect Bubba Chandler, are pitchers.”

“The Pirates are stocked with arms on the cusp of being ready for the big leagues. Using them isn’t just cost-effective for a franchise that has a propensity for saving money, but it can fix one of their biggest problems from last season and give them a legit shot to improve next season if all of the pieces fit together for one of the league’s worst bullpen’s.”

The Pirates don’t have any pending free agents in their starting rotation and they’ve shown they can develop young pitcher like Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. They have many pitching prospects who are projected to join the big leagues in 2025, including top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler. Building up a young bullpen could be just what they need to improve for next season.

More MLB: Surprising Player Revealed As Pirates Minor League Player Of Year