PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made some big moves last offseason, but not enough to make the playoffs.
The Pirates improved by 11 wins from 2025 to 2026, clinching their first winning season since 2018, but didn't make the postseason with their 82-80 record.
General manager Ben Cherington and the Pirates front office made moves, like trading for second baseman Brandon Lowe and signing first baseman Ryan O'Hearn to a two-year, $29 million contract.
The Pirates benefited from those additions, but they didn't address the bullpen properly, and it cost them dearly in 2026.
Pirates' Bullpen Falters in 2026
One area the Pirates assumed they would be good in was their bullpen, as their pitching staff overall, combined with a promising rotation, was a solid unit in 2025.
The Pirates returned most of their bullpen and even added left-handed relief pitchers in Gregory Soto on a one-year, $7.5 million deal and Mason Montgomery in the Lowe trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pittsburgh didn't foresee a big regression from right-handed pitchers in Justin Lawrence, Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana, who was the team's best reliever in 2025.
The Pirates designated both Lawrence and Santana for assignment, while Mattson struggled to hold on to a roster spot.
One way this became a big problem for the Pirates was blowing leads in games they simply couldn't give away.
The Pirates lost 11 games where they were leading after the sixth inning, seven games when leading after the seventh inning and four games when leading after the eighth inning in 2026.
Pittsburgh suffered most of its bullpen-blown defeats before the trade deadline, preventing it from building winning streaks to push towards the postseason.
Two terrible losses came against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on May 15 and against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park on June 3.
Pittsburgh led Philadelphia 6-0 in the third inning, 8-3 in the sixth inning and 9-6 in the ninth inning, but blew those leads and fell 11-9 in 10 innings.
The Pirates led the Astros 8-3 in the seventh inning and 9-5 in the eighth inning, but gave up six runs in that eighth inning and ended up losing 11-9 as well.
Beating Philadelphia would've given Pittsburgh a big win to start off the series at home, and they would've swept Houston if they hadn't blown that lead.
Pirates Bullpen Has Hope for 2027
The Pirates rectified some of their bullpen issues with a strong showing at the trade deadline: Lake Bachar (Miami Marlins), Luke Weaver (New York Mets) and Kirby Yates (Los Angeles Angels).
Bachar became the bullpen game starter and works well in short and long relief, Weaver is the setup man for 2027 and Yates retired, but made a big impact in the Pirates clubhouse.
The Pirates also had big internal improvements from right-hander Yohan Ramírez and Montgomery.
Ramírez was a middle relief option, but the Pirates utilized him in many roles, and he generally came through in big ways.
Montgomery eventually became the Pirates' closer in late July and was the most dominant relief pitcher in baseball, with a franchise-record scoreless streak and National League Relief Pitcher of the Month honors for September.
Right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski should also play a big role in the Pirates' bullpen, although what the role is won't be official until preparation for the new season gets underway.
How Pirates Can Avoid Mistake Again
The Pirates have a solid bullpen, but there are always ways to get better and build upon a strong foundation.
Adding another high-leverage arm would be a massive boost for this relief pitching group and would complement Weaver and Montgomery.
Reuniting with former Pirates closer David Bednar, who is a free agent, would be audacious, but it would be a huge upgrade.
The Pirates should also look to add another left-handed pitcher, as they probably won't re-sign Soto.
Evan Sisk and Brandon Eisert are nice options, but a different southpaw profile, one that throws harder, wouldn't hurt.
The Pirates should explore all avenues for the bullpen this offseason and ensure they don't lose the kind of games that they did in 2026 for 2027.
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