The Pittsburgh Pirates have managed to stay firmly in the National League wild-card race because their offense has consistently carried the team. It has been one of the most productive lineups in Major League Baseball, combining patience at the plate with power throughout the order. That balanced attack has kept Pittsburgh in contention despite a pair of glaring weaknesses that continue to limit what this team can accomplish.
The biggest issue has been the bullpen.
If the Pirates are serious about reaching the postseason, reinforcing the relief corps has to remain general manager Ben Cherington’s top priority before the Aug. 3 MLB Trade Deadline. Thursday’s moves represent a step in that direction, but they are only a beginning.
Pirates begin bullpen changes
Pittsburgh acquired right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio from the San Diego Padres in exchange for international signing bonus pool considerations. To create room on the 40-man roster, the club designated Dennis Santana for assignment, bringing an abrupt end to what has been a dramatic decline for the veteran reliever.
The move continues a stretch of deadline activity for Cherington. Just over a week earlier, the Pirates dealt a competitive balance draft pick to the Chicago White Sox for infielder Jacob Gonzalez and left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert. Gonzalez has already made a positive impression, but Eisert has struggled enough that another bullpen addition quickly became necessary.
Dennis Santana’s collapse forced the issue
Santana’s fall has been particularly striking. Last season, he emerged as one of Pittsburgh’s most dependable relievers after taking over the closer’s role following David Bednar’s trade to the New York Yankees. Entering this season, Santana appeared firmly established as the team’s closer. That confidence disappeared quickly as inconsistent performances piled up and his effectiveness continued to decline.
In recent weeks, his role had been reduced significantly. Instead of pitching in late-game situations, Santana was often limited to lower-leverage innings because the coaching staff no longer trusted him to protect leads.
Marinaccio is hardly a guaranteed solution. Throughout his career, he has shown flashes of effectiveness in limited opportunities, but he has also struggled with consistency, including stretches this season. Even so, the Pirates were clearly at the point where change became necessary. Replacing a reliever who was no longer producing was a logical move.
Still, placing all of the bullpen’s problems on Santana would ignore the larger issue. The Pirates’ relief corps has struggled across the board, leaving manager Don Kelly without many dependable options in high-pressure situations. The consequences have been severe. Pittsburgh has already lost seven games this season after holding a win probability of at least 89 percent with fewer than five outs remaining. Three of those collapses came despite carrying a win probability above 90 percent in the ninth inning.
Trade deadline work is far from finished
Those losses have the potential to define the season. In a crowded wild-card race, every late-inning collapse carries extra weight, especially if the standings tighten by September. A missed postseason berth by one or two games would make each blown opportunity impossible to ignore.
The urgency extends beyond this season’s standings. The Pirates cannot afford to waste another year of Paul Skenes while they have one of baseball’s most productive offenses. The lineup also has room to improve once injured contributors such as Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz, Endy Rodriguez, and Konnor Griffin return.
Thursday’s transactions acknowledge that the bullpen needs help, but they cannot be viewed as the complete solution. Pittsburgh does not simply need one additional reliever. It needs multiple reliable late-inning arms capable of protecting leads and changing the outlook of close games. If the Pirates intend to turn a promising season into a playoff appearance, a much larger bullpen overhaul must happen before the trade deadline arrives.
