Pirates Need a Bullpen Reinforcement; Who Gets Added and Who Goes? (+)
PITTSBURGH — Two-straight extra-inning games already presents enough stress on a bullpen, but it becomes an even bigger issue when carrying 12 pitchers on the roster as opposed to the standard 13.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a short-handed bullpen since swapping out Ryder Ryan for Ji Hwan Bae prior to Tuesday’s game against the San Francisco Giants.
Since the move was made, the Pirates have played 20 innings over their last two games and have used all seven relief pitchers currently on their active roster.
It seems all but certain that the Pirates will make a move to bring up an arm from Triple-A Indianapolis before Thursday’s rubber match against the Giants.
Manager Derek Shelton hinted at the idea after the Pirates’ 9-5 loss to the Giants on Wednesday night.
“Yeah, we’re going to have to talk about it. I mean, we play at 12:35 and with the fact that we had to use everybody that was available tonight, it’s something that we will definitely talk about.”
Looking at the Pirates’ 40-man roster, the list of names isn’t plentiful. Given when Ryan was optioned, rules permit him from being recalled to take the place of someone on the active roster.
That leaves two sensible options for the Pirates to recall if they stick to the 40-man roster. One is left-hander Jose Hernandez, the other is righty Daulton Jefferies.
Hernandez has already spent some time with Pittsburgh this season. Through six appearances, he’s gone 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA. While he has struggled to the tune of a 7.62 ERA, perhaps Hernandez is getting back on track at the right time. The 26-year-old has not allowed a run over his last four appearances, a total of five innings.
Jefferies, meanwhile, was acquired by the Pirates after he was designated by the Giants on May 10. He’s made one start with Indianapolis and allowed three runs in three innings. The bulk of Jefferies’ time as a professional has been as a starter, but desperate times call for desperate measures, and he would be able to give the Pirates some length if they were to need it.
Of course, to get someone on the active roster, the Pirates will need to clear a spot which could be one of the 14 position players.
The most obvious answer is to sever ties with first baseman Rowdy Tellez, who has struggled for the entire season. Through 44 games, Tellez is under the Mendoza Line at .181 and has an abysmal .483 OPS. The Pirates brought Tellez in to provide some thump to the lineup, but he’s managed only four extra-base hits with one of those going for a home run.
If the Pirates’ stubbornness persists and they decide to keep Tellez, optioning Alika Williams is another route to give the bullpen some aid. Williams’ playing time has been sparse, and his role is even murkier given the addition of Bae to the roster.
To me, Hernandez makes the most sense given Aroldis Chapman is the only left-handed option and might need a day off after issuing three walks without recording an out in Wednesday’s game. And if it were up to me, Tellez would be designated for assignment.
While the roster moves are uncertain, one thing is not. The bullpen will need a reinforcement for Thursday’s game and someone will have to pack their bags to make that happen.
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