Perrotto: Pirates Bullpen’s ERA Astronomical Without Man From Mars
The reasoning behind the Pittsburgh Pirates’ trading of David Bednar made sense.
The Pirates weren’t going to pay Bednar what he will be worth next year in his final season before becoming eligible for free agency. The two-time All-Star closer will likely make around $9 million through the salary arbitration process.
General manager Ben Cherington did OK – not great – by trading Bednar to the New York Yankees for three prospects at the July 31 trade deadline. All three ranked among the top 25 prospects in the Yankees’ farm system, according to Baseball America, and slugging catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores could help the Pirates next season.
Or he might not. Cherington’s track record for trading for power hitters is poor.
However, trading Bednar has caused short-term repercussions.
Not only were the Pirates losing a pitcher who had converted all 17 save opportunities this season, but it also meant that roles would change for everyone else in the bullpen. Relievers were going to have to pitch in higher-leverage roles, and they might not be ready.
Not surprisingly, the bullpen has been hammered in the 12 games since Bednar departed. The beating went on Tuesday night when the relievers allowed 10 runs (seven earned) in four innings as the National League Central-leading Brewers drubbed the Pirates 14-0 in Milwaukee.
Infielder Jared Triolo allowed two earned runs in the eighth inning. He isn’t a pitcher, but the runs still counted.
The bullpen has been tagged for 50 runs (47 earned) in 52 2/3 innings for an 8.03 in the post-Bednar era. Part of that has been the starting rotation performing poorly, which has caused the relievers to be overworked. However, the bullpen has allowed at least 10 runs in three games and at least four runs in eight games.
The Pirates decided not to trade right-hander Dennis Santana, and the reasoning behind this decision was also easy to understand. He had a 1.36 ERA in 46 games this season with six saves before the trade deadline.
However, the pressure of being the top reliever might be getting to Santana.
The day after the deadline, Santana allowed five runs in 0.1 inning. He then blew a save opportunity last Wednesday when he failed to protect a 2-1 lead against the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park.
Santana’s ERA is 13.50 in five games since Bednar’s departure, raising his season ERA more than a full run to 2.47.
The Pirates have a couple of relievers they would be wise to try in save situations over the season’s final weeks.
Isaac Mattson, a 30-year-old rookie, has a 2.26 ERA in 26 games since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, striking out 34 in 28.1 innings.
One of the many bad decisions made by the Pirates this season was converting successful reliever Carmen Mlodzinski into a starting pitcher during spring training. The experiment mercifully ended after Mlodzinski had a 1-4 record with a 5.67 ERA in nine starts.
Back in his element, the 26-year-old right-hander has a 2.16 ERA in 14 relief appearances. Mlodzinski has only one save in three MLB seasons, but he deserves the chance for more.
What the Pirates need is a bullpen anchor like Bednar. However, the Mars Area High School graduate is gone, off to the big city to try to reach the postseason for the first time in his seven-year career.
The bullpen’s ERA is astronomical without the man from Mars.
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