Pirates Could Have Surprising Bullpen Contributor
The Pittsburgh Pirates' bullpen was an active detriment to the club last season, finishing with the fourth-worst ERA in MLB at 4.49, but there's reasons to believe the group will turn its fortunes around in 2025.
For starters, it's hard to imagine two-time All-Star closer David Bednar replicating his dreadful 5.77 ERA or blowing seven saves once again. Furthermore, not a single reliever among a group of six who posted a combined 8.10 ERA over 56 2/3 innings will return to the Pirates this year.
As an organization, Pittsburgh has proven itself to be rather adapt at developing pitching, meaning that it should be given the benefit of the doubt to a certain extent.
The Pirates certainly aren't batting a thousand in that department, but there should rightfully be some confidence that they can uncover some hidden gems or help players maximize their potential.
For those reasons, the team's lack of stability in the 'pen last year was a bit baffling. Pittsburgh will have to right its wrongs, and quickly, if it plans on competing in the NL Central, and helping right-hander Peter Strzelecki get back on track could go a long way towards doing so.
An undrafted free agent from the University of South Florida in 2018, Strzelecki signed with the Milwaukee Brewers before breaking through at the major league level in 2022.
He excelled as a rookie to the tune of a 2.83 ERA and 2.94 FIP over 30 appearances, though he'd take a step back in 2023 with a 4.54 ERA in 36 outings. Milwaukee proceeded to trade Strzelecki to the Arizona Diamondbacks at that year's deadline, and he'd throw just 1 1/3 innings for the team before he was designated for assignment on March 25, 2024.
The Cleveland Guardians acquired the 30-year-old for cash considerations days later. While he recorded an unsightly 5.79 ERA across 44 contests with Triple-A Columbus, his 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 big-league innings tells a different story.
Cleveland DFA'd Strzelecki shortly after the 2024 season concluded, though the Pirates swooped in and brought him on board via trade. Now a member of the club's 40-man roster, he has the inside track for one of the final bullpen spots on Opening Day.
Strzelecki's career ERA of 3.44, FIP of 3.49 and walks per nine rate of 3.23 signal that he could settle in as a solid contributor moving forward, though there are still some aspects of his game that need to be ironed out.
After punching out 10.29 hitters per nine in 2022, that number dropped to 6.94 last season. Strzelecki didn't have any issue racking up strikeouts in Columbus with 55 over 46 2/3 frames, but that skill didn't translate during his stint with the Guardians.
He's begun giving up hard contact more frequently as well, which may correlate to his inability to miss bats. Strzelecki has located his pitches at a suitable level, though the efficacy of his four-seam fastball has declined while remaining his primary offering, dropping from 96 Stuff+ in 2023 to 86 in 2024.
A change in his pitch mix could represent the solution he's looking for, however, as he used his slider just 17.7 percent of the time last season despite the fact that he found immense success throwing it at a 33.2% clip in 2022 while posting a 150 Stuff+ with it for Cleveland.
Should the Pirates help Strzelecki alter his process and improve his output, he has the potential to become a key piece of the team's bullpen for the foreseeable future.
