The Pirates have recently been said to have interest in lefty reliever Jose Mijares of Kansas City, who is having a great year with a 2.15 ERA in 37.2 innings. Lefties are hitting only .213 against him with a .560 OPS, but righties are hitting .283 with a .807 OPS, so he is better served as a lefty specialist. But, the Pirates really do not need to acquire another reliever.
While Mijares would be a great addition to an already strong bullpen, that move is not necessary, and neither is a deal for any reliever. If the Pirates need a reliever, they can just go to their very strong AAA team to find options. Here are the players the Pirates have in their highest minor league affiliate and on the 40-man roster that could come up an help in the bullpen:
LHP Jeff Locke: Locke is having a great year in AAA as a starter, with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. If needed, Locke could also come up and fill in as a good back of the rotation starter this year, especially if Correia is dealt. He has good pitches, with his fastball sitting in the low 90's with good control. In the bullpen, there's a good chance he can increase his velocity to the low-mid 90's. He could be used in the bullpen this year, but his future is as a starter in the majors. He was my #7 prospect in my top 30 prospects before the trading deadline.
RHP Daniel McCutchen: McCutchen was one of the most frequent relievers for the Pirates last year, putting up a decent season in 73 appearances. He was sent to AAA to begin the year because he had an option left, while other relievers he was in competition with didn't. He wouldn't be the first option up from this list, as he is not having a great season, but not bad either. He has a 3.64 ERA in 25 appearances, along with a 1.29 WHIP.
RHP Bryan Morris: Morris was called up for about a day earlier this season, then immediately sent down without ever getting a chance to appear in a major league game. Morris is the best option out of anyone on this list, and he has the potential to be a future closer in the MLB. He has a mid 90's fastball with a great curveball, a two pitch mix that can be very deadly out of the bullpen. He has a 2.54 ERA and 1.08 WHIP this year out of the 'pen, with good strikeout and walk numbers. Morris was my #13 prospect in the most recent rankings.
RHP Duke Welker: Since being moved to the bullpen, Welker has done a lot of good for the Pirates' affiliates. After being promoted to AAA part way through this year, Welker has a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings, with a 1.31 WHIP. His WHIP is that high because of a 5.9 BB/9, but he is also letting up only 5.9 Hits/9 as well. Welker possesses an upper 90's fastball, and good be a good addition to the bullpen this year or in the future.
LHP Justin Wilson: Need a lefty reliever? Justin Wilson should be the first option. Wilson has great stuff to work with, with great natural movement that makes his pitches very hard to hit. After struggling with his control last year, the Pirates moved Wilson to the AAA bullpen to end the season, where he displayed an upper 90's fastball that could hit 99 MPH. With an upper 90's fastball and great secondary pitches, Wilson could be a great late inning reliever, even with below average-average control. Wilson has a 4.04 ERA as a starter in AAA, with a 6.4 Hits/9, and can be a very good starter when his control is working. He could be another option for a spot start.
The Pirates are in contention and a good bullpen is vital to a playoff team. But, the Pirates don't need to look outside the organization to find an upgrade to an already great bullpen. General Manager Neal Huntington has done a great job over the past few years of putting together cheap bullpens that are always above average, and he hasn't had to trade for any upgrades for the bullpen. So, why should he start now with so many good options that are already in the organization? The team doesn't need to trade away another prospect just to get a reliever, and should use their prospects to get a hitter. If the Pirates really do want or need another reliever, the answer is just one promotion to the majors away.
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