How the Relief Market Is Shaping up for the Pirates
· Yahoo Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates desperately need relief help. Their bullpen is responsible for multiple heartbreaking losses this year. Since the start of May, Bucco relievers rank in the bottom five in ERA (5.10), FIP (4.53), walk rate (11.3%), and barrel rate (8.5%). However, with June now up on the calendar, the relief pitching market is going to start taking shape, with notable trades taking place in July. So, what could we expect the market to look like in a few weeks, and who could the Pirates target in a trade?
Apr 12, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Justin Lawrence (61) is consoled in the dugout after the game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn ImagesTop of the Class
Aroldis Chapman
Aroldis Chapman is by far the best reliever that will likely end up on the trade market. The former Pirates and Cincinnati Reds flamethrower has had a career resurgence since signing with the Boston Red Sox. The Cuban Missile has a 1.01 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and 1.72 FIP over his last 80 innings of work.
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In that time, he has struck out 36.7% of batters with a solid 7.3% walk rate. On top of that, he has only allowed three home runs. Chapman is only a rental, as his mutual option will likely get turned down at the end of this season. He’ll also be quite expensive. The Pirates may kick the tires; however, it seems unlikely they would trade for Chapman.
Quality Set-Up Men
Brooks Raley
Brooks Raley has become one of the sport’s more underrated arms since returning from a stint in the KBO. The veteran lefty returned from Tommy John surgery last year and has pitched extremely well out of the New York Mets’ bullpen since.
His last 48 innings have yielded a 2.06 ERA, 2.78 FIP, and 1.00 WHIP. He has walked 8.2% of batters with a 26.2% strikeout rate. Raley is also very good at limiting hard contact, with an 87.7 MPH exit velocity and 3.2% barrel rate. Despite being in his age-37 season, Raley owns an 112 Stuff+ on the year.
Raley is also a rental lefty reliever. The Pirates already have a handful of solid lefties, but given how much help the pen currently needs, anyone and everyone who could be an improvement should be on the table.
Garrett Whitlock
The Red Sox attempted to make Garrett Whitlock a starter after his impressive 2021 rookie season. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, but he has become a force out of the bullpen once again.
The right-hander has tallied 91.2 innings out of the Sox’s bullpen since the start of the 2025 season. In that time, he owns a 2.45 ERA, 31% strikeout rate, and 8% walk rate. Whitlock also isn’t a pure rental, as he comes with team options for 2027 and 2028. Whitlock is currently on the IL with knee inflammation; but it doesn’t seem like a major setback. Whitlock’s team options certainly make him an interesting trade target for the Pirates, giving them multiple avenues to explore after this year.
Daniel Lynch IV
Daniel Lynch IV went from a middling swingman to a legit lefty set-up man. So far into 2026, Lynch IV owns a 1.93 ERA while striking out 28.1% of batters, with an 8.1% walk rate. He owns a quality 86.3 MPH exit velocity (90th percentile) with a barrel rate of just 6.8% (62nd percentile).
Lynch saw his FanGraphs Stuff+ jump from just 95 in 2025 to an impressive 107 mark this year. He has control through the 2028 season via arbitration. Like Raley, while the Pirates likely prefer that the reliever they acquired be right-handed, having any help is on the table for them.
Middle Inning Relievers
Antonio Senzatela
Antonio Senzatela has long been a stalwart on the Colorado Rockies’ pitching staff. However, 2026 is the first year he has pitched primarily out of the bullpen. He has tossed 34.2 innings over 17 appearances. In that time, Senzatela has a 1.30 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and 0.89 WHIP. The veteran right-hander has only struck out 20% of opponents, albeit with a respectable 7.7% walk rate. Surprisingly, he has just a 0.52 HR/9 ratio. He can thank the 5.4% barrel rate for that low of an HR/9 despite playing half of his games in Coors Field. Senzatela has a $14 million team option for 2027.
May 16, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela (49) pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the ninth inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn ImagesYennier Cano
Yennier Cano kicked off his career with impressive 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. After struggling in 2025, it looks like Cano has put the train back on the tracks. He has just a 2.75 ERA through his first 19.2 innings of the season.
While he has an uninspiring 21.3% K rate, he has only walked 5.2% of batters faced. Cano has always been a groundball specialist, and this year, he has a 61.1% GB rate. The O’s right-hander has control through 2028. Although he has not worked in many high-leverage innings this year, he did see many more important innings more frequently in 2023 and 2024. Cano could be a buy-low trade candidate for the Pirates.
Enyel De Los Santos
The Houston Astros made a fairly unnoticed move last year, signing right-hander Enyel De Los Santos to a Major League deal. However, it has worked out well for the ‘Stros. Although he struggled down the line last year, he is off to a solid start in 2026.
De Los Santos has a 3.33 ERA, 2.27 FIP, and 1.03 WHIP over his first 24.1 innings of the year. He has allowed just a single home run and has a strong 4.3% barrel rate. The right-hander has a 24.5% K rate, with a walk percentage of just 5.1%. De Los Santos is a rental, so the Pirates would not have to commit much to acquire him.
Brent Suter
Brent Suter has consistently posted respectable numbers as a multi-inning/spot starter swingman. This year is no different with the Los Angeles Angels. He has pitched 33 innings in 23 outings, including two starts. In that time, he has a 4.09 ERA, 3.67 FIP, and 1.27 WHIP. He only has a 20.7% K rate and 8.9% BB rate, but Suter has always limited hard contact well. So far this year, the veteran lefty ranks in the 92nd percentile of exit velo (85.9 MPH) and 76th percentile of barrel rate (5.4%).
Huascar Brazoban
Mets’ right-hander Huascar Brazoban can fill multiple roles. He has worked in high-leverage, middle-inning work, as an opener, and as a multi-inning hurler. Brazoban has tossed 30.2 innings over 26 games (including nine starts/opens).
On the surface, his 2.35 ERA may look unsupported by his 19.1% K rate and 10.5% BB rate. However, Brazoban is in the 99th percentile of exit velocity (83.5 MPH) and the 97th percentile of barrel rate (2.4%). Brazoban is older, as this is his age-36 season. He is also under control through the 2029 season. The Pirates should seriously consider Brazoban, given how many roles he can fill out of the pen.
Jun 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Huascar Brazoban (43) pitches to the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn ImagesPre-Arbitration Arms
Keaton Winn
Keaton Winn is in the midst of a breakout campaign. In 25.2 innings, the right-hander owns a 2.45 ERA, 2.82 FIP, and 0.90 WHIP. Although Winn’s 22.7% K rate and 8.2% BB rate are rather pedestrian, Winn has utterly excelled at limiting hard and quality contact. He is above the 90th percentile of both exit velocity (85.6 MPH) and barrel rate (3%). Unsurprisingly, Winn has allowed just a single home run all year.
He also has a 102 Stuff+. The right-hander is controlled through 2031. The Pirates could pursue Winn with the hope that he could lock down a 7th/8th inning role for seasons beyond 2026.
Jaden Hill
A former second-round pick out of Louisiana State University, Jaden Hill has become a solid reliever for the Colorado Rockies. Over the last two seasons, the hard-throwing righty has posted a 3.40 ERA, 3.30 FIP, and 1.37 WHIP in 50.1 innings of work. Hill has a 24.2% K rate and an outstanding 0.54 HR/9 ratio.
His 2.1% barrel rate is the second lowest among all relievers since the start of the ‘25 season (min. 50 IP). The only downside is his 10.3% walk rate. However, Hill relies on a high-spin four-seam fastball as often as his slider. High-spin doesn’t play nice in Colorado’s thin atmosphere. A move out of Coors Field could do Hill some good and give him a consistent feel for his stuff. However, the Rockies are in no rush to trade Hill, even if he would be valuable on the trade market.
Main Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images