Cherington talks bullpen help, what are some trade options

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Even after a pair of scoreless relief games and three runs over seven innings on Sunday, the Pirates team bullpen ERA is still 4.16, it’s 16^th in MLB. The team has 13 saves this year, tied with the Rockies for 24^th, and only two teams have more blown saves (Tigers, Nationals), than the Pirates 14.

You can’t even pretend for competitive reasons if you are Pirates GM Ben Cherington, they need some help. Cherington has said for weeks they continue to look at all options. Now that we are into June, are any doors opening?

“Every team including the Pirates are talking to each other this time of year and getting the intel and learning what a team is ready and not ready to do,” Cherington said on the Pirates Insider Show with Jason Mackey on Sunday. “Every once and a while you find a team that is willing to do something this early.”

Every once and a while isn’t encouraging.

Understandable as all but three teams in baseball are five and a half games or closer to a playoff spot as of June 7.

For this story, let’s assume the Pirates stick with their three lefties of Mason Montgomery, Evan Sisk and Gregory Soto—each have had a few bad moments and Montgomery has struggled as of late, but if prices are high, the right-hander is the priority. Here are desirable right-handed relievers from the three teams at least eight games out of the postseason.

Angels

• RHP Sam Bachman (2.12 ERA, 23 games, 29.2 innings, 14 walks, 32 strikeouts, 1.04 ERA, .165 batting average against)
• 26, Angels 1^st round pick in 2021 out of Miami (OH), free agent in 2031, arbitration eligible in 2027
• RHP Chase Silseth (1.59 ERA, 28 games, 22.2 innings, 15 walks, 23 strikeouts, 1.41 WHIP)
• 26, Angels 11^th round pick in 2021 from Univ of Tennessee, arbitration eligible in 2028, free agent in 2031

Giants

• RHP Caleb Kilian (3.45 ERA, 27 games, 28.2 innings, 15 walks, 31 strikeouts, 1.22 WHIP, .194 batting average against)
• 29, Giants 8^th round pick in 2018 from Texas Tech, still a rookie, free agent in 2031
• RHP Keaton Winn (2.48 ERA, 27 games, 29 innings, 8 walks, 24 strikeouts, 0.86 WHIP, .172 batting average against)
• 28, Giants drafted him twice, last time in 5^th round in 2018 from Iowa Western Community College, arbitration eligible in 2028, free agent in 2031
• RHP JT Brubaker (3.09 ERA, 21 games, 32 innings, 17 walks, 23 strikeouts, 1.34 WHIP, .228 batting average against)
• 32, Pirates 6^th round pick in 2015 from Akron, currently on a one-year, $1.82 million, career 4.99 ERA with Pirates in 315.2 innings, 1.38 WHIP

Rockies

• RHP Antonio Senzatela (5 wins, 1.98 ERA, 18 games, 36.1 innings, 10 walks, 30 strikeouts, 0.96 WHIP, .195 average)
• 31, in final season of 5-year, $50.5 million contract with a team option in 2027

As Cherington has said previously there can still be improvement from the Pirates internal options who started the year in the bullpen—notably Dennis Santana, Yohan Ramirez and Isaac Mattson. Carmen Mlodzinski is now in the bullpen, Brandan Bidois might be an option.

He also noted that pitchers currently in the minors could come to the Pirates in a different role, like how Wilbur Dotel transitioned from a starter to a reliever and has had a ton of early MLB success. Sunday the Bucs promoted their 21^st overall prospect from AA to AAA and while Khristian Curtis has struggled as a starter, maybe as a reliever he could be valuable.

Coming into the Dodgers series the Pirates are 7.5 games back of the Brewers in the NL Central, but only a half-game out of a Wild Card spot.

By what means will the Pirates improve the bullpen?