For the Pittsburgh Pirates, the final bullpen moves came down to their starting pitching, but the biggest decision will be who serves as closer.
From the outset of spring training, the bulk relief role was going to be determined by who won the fifth spot in the rotation. When Carmen Mlodzinski claimed that role, rookie left-hander Hunter Barco and veteran righty Jose Urquidy were kept as long relievers.
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said the bullpen was built with a combination of reasons. Supporting the starting rotation early in the season, given that it has four starters ages 27 and younger, is a priority for Pirates manager Don Kelly.
“One is certainly to put Donnie in the best position to make decisions to win games, give him as many options as possible,” Cherington told reporters Monday in Bradenton, Fla. “Trying to protect starters who, at this point in the season, aren’t fully built up to their volume that they will get to as we get into the season. So, I’m making sure we have enough length options on the staff. Probably the third thing is you always want to protect as much depth as possible coming out of spring training for the length of the season.”
Where the Pirates have the most depth is at the back end of their bullpen, even if they don’t have a designated closer for the first time in five years. Replacing two-time All-Star David Bednar, who recorded 101 saves, will likely be done by committee. Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto and Justin Lawrence all have experience closing out games. With a combined 90 career saves, all three have shown they are capable of handling high-leverage situations.
Santana excelled in the closer role last season in April, after Bednar was demoted to the minors, and again over the final two months after The Renegade was dealt to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline. Santana had an 0.87 WHIP and .179 batting average against last season when he converted 16 of 19 save opportunities.
By signing Soto, a two-time All-Star left-hander, the Pirates created the possibility of deciding who pitches the ninth inning based on the matchups.
“We’ve got guys on the back end that can handle it with the stuff they have,” Kelly said. “As we look at the matchups and try to figure out what’s the best position to put these guys in, that leverage spot that we need Santana may be in the eighth inning. Santana pitched in the fifth and sixth last year and we’re not going to see him that early in the game, and I don’t think we’re going to pigeonhole it and say Santana is only going to pitch in the ninth inning.”
Both Santana and Soto made 70 appearances last season, so their durability isn’t an issue. Lawrence spent most of 2025 on the injured list, dealing with right forearm inflammation. When healthy, he had a 0.51 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 17 appearances.
“We’ve got guys like Soto and Dennis on the back end. If they’re eight and nine the entire season or it’s a mixture depending on the lineup, our bullpen is going to carry the weight of those back-end innings,” Lawrence said. “There’s a lot of guys that can handle those innings, which is important. Whether we’re playing close games or not, you’re going to need more than a seventh-, eighth- or ninth-inning guy. You need five or six guys that can handle those innings.”
Isaac Mattson has one of the most devastating pitches with his disappearing fastball, held opponents to an .083 batting average and didn’t allow an earned run in seven appearances this spring.
Mason Montgomery, acquired from Tampa Bay, is a lefty who touches triple digits. And righty Yohan Ramirez, who is coming off a solid spring, could be a candidate for the fireman role.
When it comes down to closing, Santana and Soto know that they could be sharing the duties, depending on the matchups.
“In my mind, I don’t have it that I’m the closer, but I’m ready for anything,” Santana said. “If Donnie asks me to go in in the seventh, I’m good. I know that I have a backup (in Soto) who has two All-Stars and 30-save season.”