3 roster moves Pirates must make after 2026 MLB trade deadline

The Pittsburgh Pirates blew past their usual sell-off script this year, going all-in on bullpen help with a remarkable four-arm reinforcement of Luke Weaver, Kirby Yates, Lake Bachar and Camilo Doval acquired in the days surrounding the August 3 deadline. It’s the most aggressive bullpen makeover Pittsburgh has pulled off in years, a clear signal that general manager Ben Cherington believes this roster can end a playoff drought that has stretched for a decade. But collecting arms is the easy part. Now the Pirates need to make the roster decisions that actually turn a reshuffled bullpen and a beat-up rotation into a functional team capable of chasing a wild card spot down the stretch.

Sort Out the Bullpen Pecking Order

Pittsburgh now has an almost embarrassing surplus of relief options, with Weaver, Yates, Bachar, Doval, Gregory Soto and Evan Sisk all fighting for high-leverage innings. That’s a good problem to have, but it’s still a problem, and Gregory Soto’s recent shaky outings suggest he may be sliding out of the ninth-inning conversation entirely.

The front office needs to clearly define its closer and setup roles now rather than letting matchups dictate everything on the fly, particularly with Doval and Weaver both having closer experience elsewhere. Manager Don Kelly also needs to decide whether Ron Marinaccio, who was designated for assignment right after the deadline, or other bullpen holdovers still have a real role, since roster spots are about to get even tighter as September call-ups approach. Establishing a clear hierarchy now protects against the kind of bullpen chaos that sunk close games earlier this season.

Find Rotation Answers After Mitch Keller Injury

Mitch Keller’s season-ending injury, a right arm teres major muscle issue that landed him on the 60-day injured list right at the deadline, blew a massive hole in a rotation that was already leaning heavily on Paul Skenes. Skenes has had an up-and-down season after back-to-back dominant season to start his young career. With just a 9-10 record and 3.96 ERA in 24 games, the Pirates need answers in the rotation if they want to make a post-season run.

The Pirates now need someone from that group, or a fresh call-up like Cam Sanders, to step forward and stabilize the back of the rotation. With no starting pitching added at the deadline, Pittsburgh’s front office effectively bet that internal options can cover for Keller, a bet that needs to pay off quickly given how thin the depth chart looks behind Skenes and Jared Jones.

Clarify the DH and Outfield Mix After the Ozuna Release

Releasing Marcell Ozuna and immediately selecting Ronny Simon’s contract signals the Pirates are ready to get younger and more athletic at designated hitter and in the outfield mix. Simon has already made an impact, driving in two runs in an August 8 win over the Mets, and Bryan Reynolds continues to anchor the outfield with steady power production.

But Pittsburgh still needs to figure out playing time between Jake Mangum, Tommy Pham, Jhostynxon Garcia and the newly acquired Johnathan Rodriguez, especially once Oneil Cruz returns from his hand injury rehab assignment at Triple-A Indianapolis. Adding clarity here matters because Cruz’s return will force a roster crunch in the outfield and at DH, and the Pirates can’t afford to let playing time confusion stunt the development of Simón or Garcia while an established veteran clogs an at-bat that could go to a younger, more athletic option.

Pittsburgh’s front office made an uncharacteristically aggressive push at the deadline, betting heavily on bullpen volume to cover for a suddenly thin rotation. Whether that bet pays off now comes down to internal roster management: locking down bullpen roles, identifying a real answer behind Skenes and Jones in the rotation, and getting the outfield and DH mix right as Cruz works his way back. Get those three moves right, and the Pirates have a real chance to finally snap their playoff drought.

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