Pirates Position Group Breakdown: How Good Will Bullpen Be in Post-Renegade Era?
For the first time in years, the Pittsburgh Pirates will report to Bradenton for the start of spring training without the services of their hometown closer.
The Pirates traded two-time All-Star David Bednar to the New York Yankees at last year’s deadline and won’t have “Renegade” blaring over the PNC Park speakers at the start of the season.
But the Pirates do return Dennis Santana, who slotted in nicely as closer after Bednar was traded. Santana has had a career turnaround since joining Pittsburgh in the middle of the 2024 season. In 109 appearances with the Pirates, Santana owns a stellar 2.28 ERA. Last season, he went 4-5 with a 2.18 ERA and a career-high 16 saves in 70 appearances.
Santana, who turns 30 a few weeks after the start of the regular season, is expected to receive the bulk of the closer’s work in his final year before becoming eligible for free agent next offseason.
The Pirates signed Gregory Soto to a one-year deal in December after he split the 2025 season between the Orioles and Mets and combined for a 4.18 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 60.1 innings. If the Pirates face a lefty-heavy lineup in the ninth inning at some point next season, the two-time All-Star from his days as a closer with the Tigers could seemingly handle the task.
The other newcomer to the bullpen is a fellow lefty. Mason Montgomery, a rookie last season, was acquired from the Rays. Montgomery can light up the radar gun with a triple-digit fastball but had a 5.67 ERA in 57 appearances last season. High strikeout totals and advanced metrics paint a kinder picture, though.
Isaac Mattson will be back after a breakout season with the Pirates. With only seven career big-league appearances entering the start of last year, Mattson proved to be a revelation with a 2.45 ERA in 44 appearances after he was called up in May. Get ready for more of his “invisible” fastball that gives hitters fits, but perhaps more secondary offerings.
Carmen Mlodzinski should be counted on out of the bullpen, although the Pirates could flirt with him as a starting pitcher again. The Pirates used the right-hander as a starter last season but it was a largely failed experiment. He’s been effective as a reliever in his big league career and there’s a bigger need for a reliable arm in the bullpen than the rotation right now. Leave him be.
Justin Lawrence missed most of last season with an arm injury but was just about untouchable when he was on the mound. We only got to see him at the beginning of the year and again at the end, but he allowed just one run on nine hits with 23 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. If he stays healthy for most of ’26, he’ll be a big piece.
After those guys, it’s a bit more uncertain who will make up the rest of the bullpen.
Kyle Nicolas has good stuff and has shown flashes at times but an overall lack of command has plagued him through his first couple big league seasons. It was somewhat surprising to see Yohan RamÃrez get tendered a contract in the offseason, but he’ll be another one in competition. Evan Sisk is another left-handed option after he was acquired from the Royals last deadline.
The Pirates also added right-handers Brandan Bidois and Ryan Harbin to the 40-man roster in the offseason. Cam Sanders has stuck on the roster all winter after a few appearances with Pittsburgh last year.
Righty Chris Devinski and lefty Joe La Sorsa are among a handful of non-roster invitees who will be motivated to try and earn a spot.
The jury is out on how much of a strength the bullpen will be for the Pirates this year. There are some good pieces but there are also some question marks. Hope is a word that comes to mind for a few of these guys. Hope that Mattson is able to replicate last year’s season. Hope that Lawrence stays healthy. Hope that Montgomery’s peripherals lead to a better season. Hope that Santana continues to pitch well and stays healthy over a full season, because if not, the Pirates don’t have a clear closer on the roster. And hope that someone steps up this spring to fill one of the open spots.
Hope is a good thing until it’s not. And it’s why the Pirates should be considering adding another veteran to the mix before Opening Day in six weeks.
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