Pirates Should Trade for Orioles Relief Pitcher
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need bullpen help and one pitcher addition could play a big role in doing just that.
Baltimore Orioles right-handed relief pitcher Yennier Cano is one player that could end up on the trade block and it would make sense for the Pirates to, at the very least, enquire about his services.
The Pirates' bullpen has struggled all season and there was more evidence of that in their road series defeat to the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, July 20 and July 22, with them blowing a lead in the first game of the doubleheader in the first game and then giving the home team a late lead after being tied in the seventh inning.
It's one of many bullpen options for the Pirates at the trade deadline, but there are a few reasons why Cano makes sense for the Pirates.
Why the Pirates Should Trade for Cano
Cano is having an excellent season with the Orioles, posting a 2.41 ERA over 45 appearances and 33.2 innings pitched, with a .213 batting average allowed and a 1.04 WHIP.
His innings pitched to appearances is odd for someone with a low ERA, but Cano has done a great job of coming in and getting one or two outs needed when the Orioles have called upon him.
He has also pitched well, with a 1.93 ERA over 14.0 innings in his last 19 appearances, with just three runs, 14 hits and four walks allowed and posting 12 strikeouts.
Cano has a low walk rate (5.1%) and is one of the best pitchers in baseball in forcing batters into ground balls, with a 64.0% GB rate, second-highest in baseball among pitchers with at least 100 batted ball events.
He's had great success with his sinker this season, with a .177 BAA and a +8 run value, tied for the 11th-best sinker in baseball.
Cano's sweeper is also one of his better pitches, only averaging around 85.7 mph, but getting a .100 BAA on it and preventing hitters from driving it deep with no home runs allowed on it.
The Pirates simply need a relief pitcher they can rely on in high-leverage positions and get those crucial outs and Cano would make a great addition in that regard.
Cano also comes with team control, with two more years of arbirtation that would keep him with the Pirates through the 2028 season,
Will the Pirates Trade for Cano?
The Pirates will make additions to their bullpen at the trade deadline on Aug. 3, and there are a number of names that could work.
Pittsburgh needs a closer, like Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres, but they also need other bullpen arms that are more reliable and consistent than the ones they have.
Cano will also not take a big trade package, like Miller would, and could help out in different ways that continue on the next two seasons as well for a Pirates team that can contend for the future.
The Pirates' offense is one of the best in baseball and it needs bullpen additions like Cano to make sure they get the wins needed to make their first postseason since 2015.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.