3-6-25 – By Josh Poe – @DaRealHanYolo on X
As spring training rages on, I feel strange about this team. I am excited, yet not. One of the main things that excites me is the pitching rotation. This rotation looks to be the best of my lifetime. I was born in 1999, but since then, there have been good rotations you have seen this year, and it stands out. This rotation is easily among the top ten in baseball and could propel them into a spot for the playoffs. The bullpen is decent; it’s not great, but it is respectable, as it has some depth. But there is one lingering question: who is the closer? Here are the options as I see them, along with my choice.
David Bednar
The first option for a closer is the most likely choice, and that choice is Devid Bednar. Going into the 2024 season, he was one of the best relievers in baseball. Last year, however, he took a significant step back and didn’t look like himself. In ten fewer innings than in 2023, he gave up more homers and almost 20 more runs than in ‘23. The big issue for me was the location of his pitches because his other skills are still there. His fastball was still good at around 97mph, but the ball hardly moved.
It seemed a lot of the time, the hitters Bednar faced just weren’t fooled enough by his pitches.. Now, the question is, can Bednar get back to form this year? I think he actually can. It boggles my mind that Bednar could have a year like he did in 2023 and then completely lose it. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen because it does, but it’s odd that he had years like ‘22 and ‘23 and had no idea how to locate his pitches in ‘24. So, no, I am not of the camp that says we should dump Bednar to the highest bidder.
Colin Holderman
I will keep this one short because I think it’s perfectly fine where Holderman is as a set-up man. He lit the world on fire in the first half of ‘24, then fell off. I think Holderman is a good pitcher, just not great as a closer. He excels at his role but doesn’t perform well when used outside it. He reminds me a lot of Tony Watson, who, when used right, was dominant. But, like Watson, Holderman seems to lose a step if his role is expanded or if he is simply used as a closer. Still, he is a very good player, so he is on the shortlist to consider. Check his numbers here.
Closer By Committee
Closer by committee is another option that would make sense if Bednar does indeed not have the stuff this year. In my mind, it would include giving looks to Justin Lawrence, Colin Holderman, Dennis Santana, and Caleb Ferguson. ( Or any of the other bullpen arms). This option could work, but at first glance, this seems like a very flawed idea. Looking back on the dominant bullpens the Pirates have had, each pitcher had the roles of their arms defined, and thats why it worked. The theory was to get a lead to the 7th, and then the book was already written on how to close it.
The 7,8,9 formula seemed like the formula they wanted last year with Holderman, Chapman, and Bednar. We saw how that went, not well at all. Because if pitchers are getting looks at being the closer simply because they are good pitchers, that is not the best way to manage. The possibility that anyone could be used in that position will cause some stress among the players, as not everyone is suited for the closer spot. I don’t think closer by committee is the way to go unless something terrible happens. Perhaps halfway through the season, if the Pirates lose their closer due to an injury, then maybe the best available pitcher steps in. But the Pirates’ management needs to have a plan in place if Plan A doesn’t work, and that plan can’t be to simply go with who’s hot.
Dennis Santana
Yep, we have made it to the last option on the list, and I want to see who the closer is. I know that Santana is not the answer to the closer dilemma for everyone, so just hear me out. Dennis Santana was DFA’d by the Yankees after throwing 27.1 innings and had a 6.26 era with the Yankees. Santana has never logged an era under 3.63 in any other year of his career, which probably leads you to ask why I’m picking him.
Once the Pirates picked up Dennis Santana, he had a significant turnaround and ended the year well. He threw 44.1, struck out 50 batters, had a career-best era of 2.44, and a whip under 1. By looking at his numbers, we can see that he has a good run on his fastball, high chase rate, and low exit velocity. His stuff is there, and if I were managing the Buccos, I would use Santana as the main closer and then ease Bednar back into the closer position. Santana would then go back to a set-up role with Holderman.
The Pirates bullpen has a chance to be good this season. So, keep hope alive, everyone.
Steel City Pirates 