Pirates by Position: David Bednar expected to lead bullpen bolstered by offseason additions

When it comes to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen, Derek Shelton won’t divulge defined roles. The Pirates manager has refused to call David Bednar the team’s closer, despite leading their relievers in saves (19) and strikeouts (69) and being selected an All-Star last season.

“No, not really,” Shelton said of the roles. “I mean, Bednar is going to pitch at the back half of the game and health is the main thing for him. … The competition there is going to be important for us, but I’m looking forward to that because I think these guys are going to push each other.”

Bednar is one of eight returning right-handed relievers, and his back injury late last season gave high-leverage opportunities to the likes of Wil Crowe, Chase De Jong, Yerry De Los Santos, Jose Ramirez, Robert Stephenson and Duane Underwood Jr.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington made it his mission to improve the bullpen in two ways this offseason. First, he wanted to add more swing-and-miss. Next, he needed to find some left-handers to balance the bullpen. So Cherington added 10 relievers this offseason.

“We’d like to go into spring training feeling like we have 15 to 20 viable relief candidates so that there can be a strong competition,” Cherington said. “It will be a great outcome for us if we have good pitchers that don’t make the team. Doesn’t mean I’m rooting against anybody, but the better pitchers we’re sending to Indy, the better position we’re in. We’re trying to make that competition as stiff as we can … and we’ll continue to look to add. I feel like we have more than eight good candidates for our bullpen.”

Cherington started by acquiring right-hander Dauri Moreta, who had a 24.4% strikeout rate last season, from the Cincinnati Reds in a trade for shortstop Kevin Newman. Cherington signed one lefty, Jarlin Garcia, to a $2.5 million contract with a 2024 option in free agency and selected another, Jose Hernandez, in the Rule 5 Draft.

The Pirates also signed seven veterans to minor-league contracts as non-roster invitees to spring training: righties Tyler Chatwood, Wei-Chieh Huang and Nate Webb and lefties Angel Perdomo, Caleb Smith, Daniel Zamora and Rob Zastryzny.

“I think the one thing that we’ve done this offseason — and I give Ben and his group credit for — is there’s a lot of options in this bullpen,” Shelton said, “and probably more options than we’ve ever had, especially with guys in our eyes that have pitched in the big leagues previously, so that gives us competition within our group.”

Defining roles will be more difficult.

Crowe switched from the starting rotation to the bullpen and led Pirates relievers in games (60), innings (76) and walks (38) while finishing second to Bednar in strikeouts (68). Where Crowe held opposing batters to a .175 average in April and .163 in May, he got hit hard for a .342 clip in high-leverage situations in September.

De Jong (6-3, 2.64 ERA), another converted starter, might have been the most reliable reliever, showing the versatility to work in a multi-inning or back-end role. De Los Santos earned three saves before being sidelined by a shoulder strain. Colin Holderman, acquired from the New York Mets in the Daniel Vogelbach trade, showed the ability to strand inherited runners before he was shut down with a shoulder impingement.

Ramirez, Stephenson and Underwood also got save opportunities late in the season, though they could be challenged by the arrival of Moreta and veterans like Chatwood and Huang. The need for lefties makes it likely Garcia and Hernandez will be competing against the 6-foot-8 Perdomo, who averaged 15.1 strikeouts and 10.5 walks per nine innings, Smith (.170 versus lefties), Zamora (11 K/9) and Zastryzny.

“This goes back to putting guys in good positions to get guys out,” Bednar said. “Whenever you have different looks, it gives you a good ability to do that.”

The key to the bullpen will be the health of hometown hero Bednar, the Mars alum who became the first WPIAL product to earn an All-Star appearance for the Pirates since shortstop Dick Groat of Swissvale. Bednar’s popularity rose to the point that he entered the ninth inning to a video montage and the Steelers anthem, “Renegade.”

The multi-inning workload, however, took its toll on Bednar’s back. If the hard-throwing Bednar, who will pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, can establish himself as the closer, the Pirates can build a bullpen around him.

“The pieces are certainly there,” Bednar said. “It’s really exciting to think about. You saw it last year in bits and pieces. Now kind of starting to stack that more, put guys in good situations. I’m really looking forward to it being the strength of the team. It’s already a tight-knit group. In the bullpen that’s one of the most important parts is that camaraderie: Everybody has each other’s back.”