September is doing the Pirates a favor.
The games still matter in 2026, but the month is already helping sort out what Pittsburgh should and shouldn’t carry into 2027. If this club is serious about entering next season as a contender, then the back end of the roster can’t be a museum of familiar names. The Pirates need to trim the fat, spend more carefully and, in one case, decide whether the talent is worth the trouble.
Three players are making that easier.
Carmen Mlodzinski is the toughest call, because the arm itself hasn’t been the issue. He has a 3.87 ERA over 114 innings this season, with work split between the rotation, the bullpen and bulk relief.
The problem came earlier in the year, when he was bumped from the rotation after Jared Jones returned, reacted poorly to the move and later told the organization he wasn’t ready to pitch out of the bullpen. Pittsburgh then placed him on the restricted list.
Being unhappy about losing a starting role is one thing. Refusing to make yourself available because you dislike the assignment is another.
Mlodzinski eventually came back and said the right things, but the episode left a real question hanging over him: how will he respond when the Pirates ask him to do something he doesn’t want to do? With Skenes, Jones, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft forming the core of the rotation picture, Mlodzinski is starting to look more like an offseason trade chip than a player the Pirates need to bend over backward to keep in 2027.
Gregory Soto’s situation is different, but the conclusion points the same way. Saturday at Wrigley Field was another reminder that Pittsburgh doesn’t need to chase a reunion. Soto inherited a 3-2 lead after seven strong innings from Paul Skenes and couldn’t finish the job, walking in an RBI before hitting Nico Hoerner with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in a 4-3 loss.
His season overall has been solid enough - a 3.08 ERA with 14 saves - but he’s on a one-year, $7.75 million deal and set for free agency after the season. That money can be used better.
Mason Montgomery has already emerged as a real late-inning option, and Pittsburgh has other bullpen pieces it can control. Rather than handing another meaningful contract to a veteran reliever, the Pirates should let Soto’s salary come off the books, add to that money and chase another veteran starter.
This rotation has big upside, but Keller’s injury and Ashcraft’s late-season arm issue have already shown how fast depth can evaporate.
Billy Cook’s case is the cleanest of the three. He’s hitting .176 with a .443 OPS, with no home runs and two RBI in 51 at-bats this season.
He does bring speed, outfield ability and some defensive versatility, but that’s not enough for a final roster spot on a team that wants to contend. Those fringe jobs need at least one reliable carrying tool, and Cook hasn’t provided nearly enough offense to justify keeping that lane open.
For Pittsburgh, the winter should be about lifting the floor. That means fewer automatic returns, fewer long auditions and fewer spots handed out based on what a player might become someday.
In Other News...
Three Pirates Are Putting Themselves On Thin Ice This Winter
The Pirates are already looking ahead to 2027, and that means a few current roster spots are going to be judged less on past value and more on whether a player still fits the long-term plan. Carmen Mlodzinski, Gregory Soto and Billy Cook all land in that uncomfortable middle ground, where the organization has reasons to keep watching but plenty of reasons to start thinking about alternatives as it tries to reshape the club for better overall performance next season.
Mlodzinskis standing has been clouded by attitude questions and the possibility that he could become a trade candidate, while Sotos uneven work and contract situation make it hard to see the Pirates committing to him again. Cooks case is different, but no less precarious, because the offensive struggles that have followed him have left his roster spot far from secure. For a front office expected to keep turning over the edges of the roster, all three are the kind of players who can feel the pressure rising quickly once winter decisions begin. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Have A Brandon Lowe Problem They Can't Ignore
Brandon Lowe has become one of the more important players in the Pirates picture this season, giving them the kind of left-handed power and steadier defense that can change the feel of a lineup and an infield at the same time. For a club always balancing present value with future flexibility, that kind of all-around production is hard to replace, and it has made Lowes year one of the quiet centerpieces of the season.
The problem for Pittsburgh is that this may not be a one-year story. Lowe is out of contract after the season and is expected to draw plenty of attention once he reaches free agency, which puts the Pirates in a familiar but uncomfortable spot. They can see exactly how much he has meant on both sides of the ball, and now they have to decide how hard they are willing to push to keep him from becoming a major offseason loss. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Get One Encouraging Injury Sign Amid A Brutal Loss
The Pirates took a hit with outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a left hamstring injury, according to general manager Ben Cherington. It was the kind of setback that underscores how thin the margin can be this time of year, especially for a team already trying to piece together answers amid a rough stretch.
There was at least one more encouraging note on the medical front, though, with reliever Kirby Yates expected back during the homestand after dealing with a right shoulder impingement. The Pirates also remain optimistic about Braxton Ashcrafts right arm discomfort, with no evidence of a major structural injury, leaving them with something to monitor closely even as the roster keeps absorbing blows. [Read more 🡒]