A Bullpen Shake-up Is Coming As Guys Get in New Roles
Rewind the season back to April, and one of the only strengths to this Pittsburgh Pirates team was the bullpen. It started with the back-end of the bullpen, as closer Richard Rodriguez and set-up man Kyle Crick were on fire, and it resonated throughout the rest of the group. Sam Howard, Clay Holmes, and David Bednar were strong in middle relief and Duane Underwood Jr. was a reliable long man. As a result, the Pirates were able to shorten games and it helped them finish the month at 12-10 and way above expectations. However, Pirates starters weren't going deep into games and you knew something had to give.
Fast-forward to present day and we are starting to see some of the consequences of the starters not going deeper into games. The bullpen ERA has risen to 4.40 (17th in MLB) and guys aren't nearly as effective as they were at the beginning of the year. Richard Rodriguez is the biggest example of this as he went from not having an ERA at the beginning of May, to pitching to a 6.43 ERA in the month of July. We have already seen Ben Cherington make moves because of poor performance, with his most recent being the Designating of Kyle Crick for assignment. With more moves in the works, a shake-up is coming and some of these relievers will have to be ready to step into some new roles. Today, we look at some of these changes that are on the horizon and how the guys might handle them.
David Bednar Will Be The Closer
When the Pirates acquired David Bednar in the trade that sent Joe Musgrove to San Diego, no one was really sure what his role would be. To that point in his career, he had posted ERAs of 6.55 in 2019 and 7.11 in 2020. However, he came into camp determined to make it on his hometown team, and he earned a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. It has been all success from there for Bednar as he has gone 2-1 with a 2.92 ERA in his 41 appearances with the Pirates this season. He has moved from middle relief to the set-up role and has been thriving in late-game situations. After a rough June where he pitched to a 5.40 ERA, Bednar has come back and has yet to be scored upon in July. He has thrown 7.0 straight scoreless inning and since June 18th, he has posted a 0.82 ERA in his 11 innings of work.
With it becoming more and more likely that the Pirates will trade Richard Rodriguez at the deadline, David Bednar would be the logical guy to take over as the closer. Imagine the Pirates with a lead in the ninth inning, and Bednar coming barreling out of the bullpen while Renegade is blasting over the speakers. That would get the crowd amped up and even more ready for a big win. I'm not only saying this because he is a Pittsburgh kid, but the numbers support the move. Opponents are hitting just .207 against him and he has struck out just over 30% of the batters he has faced this season. The time is coming for Bednar to take over in the ninth inning the question is whether it will be due to a vacancy, or if it is because he overtook Rodriguez.
Underwood Jr. Establishing As Long Man
Before the season, not many people had heard of the name Duane Underwood Jr. He was acquired in a minor deal at the start of Spring Training with the Chicago Cubs and has quietly put together a good season. He has appeared in 30 games for the Pirates this season and has gone 2-2 with a 4.79 ERA in 51 innings of work. The ERA is a little inflated after an outing where he gave up seven earned runs before hitting the IL, so he has pitched much better than that number indicates. He started his tenure with the Pirates as a middle-reliever but has shown that when he is stretched out he can become a more effective pitcher. He has been the go-to guy for Manager Derek Shelton when they need someone to eat innings, and he has done it flawlessly.
He was a starter for his entire Minor League career, but since he has been promoted to the Big Leagues most of his outings have come in relief. Of his 60 career outings, 59 of them have been in relief as he has thrived in the bullpen. He is your typical pitch-to-contact type guy and won't blow you away with strikeouts (47) or walks (19). However, he typically gives up soft contact, and more often than not it has been on the ground. He has been touched for four home runs this season in 51.1 innings and has an impressive 1.47 WHIP. With starters going less and less into games nowadays, a good long man is more important than ever and Underwood Jr. could lockdown that role for years to come.
Finding A Reliable Lefty
When the Pirates have Sam Howard healthy, they have one of the best left-handed relievers in the game. Howard has flourished since coming to Pittsburgh, he has dropped his ERA to 4.97 in 60 games and recorded 68 strikeouts. However, when he isn't in there, there isn't much in the way of reinforcements. Austin Davis and Chasen Shreve have both tried to fill that role, but neither has been very effective. Shreve has been the best option, posting a 2.16 ERA in 28 games, but he is also a likely candidate to get traded. On the other end, you have Davis who after a strong start has posted a Beasley 6.75 ERA in seven games. Neither player has taken on, but there is an option in Triple-A who could come and help.
Braeden Ogle, who the Pirates saw this spring, has been down in Triple-A and pitching well in left-handed relief work. In 21 games, the 23-year-old has gone 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work. Opponents are hitting just .178 against him, but his command has been off as he has a walk rate of 17.3% this season. It is only his first year in Triple-A, but a trade could be the opportunity he needs to make that jump to the Big League level. He appeared in seven games during Spring Training and posted a 5.06 ERA. However, all three runs that he allowed came with one swing of the bat as he allowed a three-run home run. Ogle may get a shot by the end of this season and it will be his chance to show he can be a dominant left-handed relief option for the Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates (36-59) wrap up their three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks (29-68) at 3:40 pm. Max Kranick (1-1, 3.38) takes the hill making his third Pirates start of the season as he goes against Madison Bumgarner (4-6, 5.39) for the Diamondbacks. You can watch the game live on AT&T Sportsnet or listen on KDKA 1020 AM and 100.1 FM.
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