Pirates ready to rebuild rotation, bullpen after trading starting pitcher, relievers

After absorbing all of the comings and goings of Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers over the past week, their braintrust needed a day to discuss what the starting rotation and bullpen would look like moving forward.

The Pirates shook up their pitching staff by trading left-handed starter Tyler Anderson (Seattle) and relievers Clay Holmes (New York Yankees), Austin Davis (Boston) and Richard Rodriguez (Atlanta).

They got at least one major league starter in return, right-hander Bryse Wilson, but have in-house reinforcements on the way. The Pirates recalled Max Kranick and Cody Ponce from Triple-A Indianapolis early in the week and Mitch Keller on Friday, adding three right-handers to a rotation featuring JT Brubaker, Wil Crowe and Chad Kuhl.

Brubaker started Saturday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, but manager Derek Shelton left Sunday’s starter open. The Pirates have to figure out when to use Keller, who was scheduled to start Friday for Indianapolis but threw in the bullpen instead.

“There’s a potential that he could pitch out of the bullpen,” Shelton said Saturday. “Last night was just getting him to touch the mound a little bit. He wanted to touch the mound. So we made sure we got him up, got him some work.”

Wilson, who threw three innings Monday against the New York Mets, was activated Saturday to the 26-man roster and is on a short list of possible starters for Sunday.

“In terms of who’s making starts and how many and where they are, obviously, there’s going to be some guys who continue to make starts at the major league level,” Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said. “We need to get through the weekend, see where we are, evaluate and reset. There are guys who we definitely want to be in starting roles, whether that’s in Indy or in Pittsburgh. We might have guys making starts in both places.”

While the bullpen took a blow by losing a reliable closer, Mars native David Bednar is the best bet to replace Rodriguez. Since being acquired from San Diego in the Joe Musgrove trade, Bednar “continues to make strides forward.”

“He started earlier in the year early in games,” Shelton said, “and has pushed himself really and solidified into a back-end role.”

Shelton said Saturday that the Pirates won’t name a closer but rather go by committee to leverage situations. That doesn’t seem to worry Shelton or Cherington, who believes they have a number of potential high-leverage relievers.

“It’s something that we’ll talk through,” Shelton said. “I think we have a couple guys who could pitch at the end of the game, but it’s something that we will sit and work through, probably in the next day or two.”

Shelton has said he wants to use a six-man rotation to reduce the workload and prevent long-term injuries to the staff, especially after losing Chase De Jong to season-ending left knee surgery and Trevor Cahill for the foreseeable future to a fractured right foot.

The good news is lefty Steven Brault could be ready to return to the rotation soon, and righty Miguel Yajure might not be far behind. Brault, the Pirates’ pitcher of the year last season when he threw the team’s only complete game, could provide a big boost.

“That’s just another guy who can throw well for us,” Kuhl said. “Obviously, he gives us a lift in the clubhouse, so we’re anxiously awaiting his return, not only the guy he is on the field but off the field.”

The Pirates have not talked about shutting anyone down because of innings or pitch counts, so it could create competition for starting jobs. That certainly motivated Crowe, who pitched six scoreless innings in a 7-0 win over the Phillies on Friday night, allowing just one hit. Acquired from Washington in the Josh Bell trade last December, Crowe is trying to prove he belongs in the rotation.

“Anytime you’re in the big leagues is a great opportunity, for anybody,” Crowe said. “It’s a way to showcase you and who you are and your stuff. For a team like us, there’s a lot of great players and a lot of opportunity. You’ve got to take the bull by the horns and do what you can with what you’re given. That’s all I’m trying to do, week in and week out.”