The Braves just raised the bar for bullpen shopping, and that should have the Pirates paying attention.
On Thursday, Atlanta landed former Dodgers closer Evan Phillips on a three-year, $35 million deal, one of the first major relief contracts of the offseason. The structure is straightforward enough: Phillips gets $11 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028 and $13 million in 2029.
But for teams hunting bullpen help, the message is harder to ignore. The market may already be moving.
Phillips brings the kind of track record that makes a big commitment easier to justify. He was one of the most dependable late-inning arms in baseball during his run with Los Angeles, though the injury history hanging over this signing makes it stand out even more.
Phillips had Tommy John surgery in 2025 and didn’t debut in 2026 until July 7. He still finished the year with a 3.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 26 innings, and he closed strong with a 1.46 ERA over his final 14 outings.
That’s the part Pittsburgh has to notice. Atlanta guaranteed $35 million to a reliever entering his age-32 season who has thrown fewer than 32 major league innings over the past two years.
That’s not a cautious move. It’s a signal.
It also puts a spotlight on what the Pirates may have to do next, especially if they’re looking for a left-handed reliever to replace Gregory Soto. Former Brewers left-hander JoJo Romero was projected by MLB Trade Rumors for a two-year, $13 million deal, which would have looked like a manageable route for Pittsburgh. But if clubs start following Atlanta’s lead and adding extra guaranteed years to established relievers, even the cheaper options could get pricier.
That’s the danger for Ben Cherington: the bullpen market may not stay friendly for long.
And Pittsburgh already lived through the consequences of underbuilding that unit. The Pirates reached the 2026 trade deadline with a 4.34 bullpen ERA, which pushed Cherington into a series of midseason moves.
Those additions helped, and they helped a lot. Mason Montgomery turned into a dominant closer, while Luke Weaver gave the club another trustworthy late-inning arm.
The turnaround showed up in the numbers, too. Pittsburgh’s bullpen posted a 3.49 ERA after the deadline. But by then, the early-season damage had already made life harder than it needed to be.
Cherington did enough to stabilize the group, but that doesn’t mean the work is done. Montgomery and Weaver give the Pirates a solid base, and Lake Bachar, Yohan Ramírez and others add depth.
Even so, Soto’s departure would leave a clear opening for another experienced lefty - ideally one who can handle high-leverage spots. Those arms don’t grow on trees, and they don’t come cheap.
The financial picture complicates things further. Pittsburgh is already dealing with rising arbitration costs, existing commitments and uncertainty around Brandon Lowe’s free agency.
Nobody is asking the Pirates to chase Atlanta’s level of spending on Phillips, especially with more urgent offensive needs elsewhere. But they do need to make a real investment in the bullpen.
There’s also the looming lockout to consider. With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire December 1, teams may have fewer than three weeks to get deals done before an expected freeze. Atlanta isn’t waiting around, and that matters.
For Cherington, the Phillips contract is a reminder that the market won’t bend to Pittsburgh’s preferred budget just because the roster has other holes. If the Pirates let the bullpen slide to the back burner again, they risk undoing the progress they made in 2026.
And if Thursday’s deal is any indication, waiting for the perfect bargain could wind up costing them more than they planned.
In Other News...
Ben Cherington Just Raised The Pressure On The Pirates Offseason
Ben Cherington used the MLB general managers meetings to put a little more light on the Pirates offseason approach, and the message was clear enough: Pittsburgh may be dealing with a different financial picture than it was a year ago, but the front office is not treating that as an excuse to stand still. The club has payroll commitments and arbitration raises to account for, yet Cherington framed the priority the same way the organization has all along, with roster improvement still at the center of the plan.
The broader significance is in what he did not sound like he was doing. Cherington did not present the Pirates as hamstrung by money, which matters for a team trying to take a real step forward after another winter of scrutiny over how aggressively it will spend. He also said the club remains in touch with Brandon Lowe on the qualifying offer, a reminder that the front office is still working through live roster business while the offseason market begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Face One Big Infield Question As Trade Rumors Heat Up
The Pirates infield picture is suddenly looking a lot less settled than it did a few weeks ago, with Brandon Lowes possible free agency exit adding to the uncertainty around a group that already has some performance questions hanging over it. For a club trying to map out its next move, that kind of instability matters, especially when the front office is already weighing whether the market might offer a cleaner long-term answer.
One speculative path gaining traction involves Baltimore, where the Orioles are said to be open to moving players as they look for pitching help. If that door stays open, Pittsburgh could find itself in the mix for a young infielder with a high ceiling, though any serious pursuit would likely come with a steep price and plenty of competition. For now, it is less a finished plan than a reminder that the Pirates may have to get creative if they want to solve the infield before the offseason market tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Suddenly Face A Brandon Lowe Fight They May Not Control
Brandon Lowes strong season in Pittsburgh did more than give the Pirates a productive bat and a steadier glove at second base. It also put him squarely on the open market, where his improved defense and power hitting have quickly made him one of the more appealing free agents available this offseason. For a club that values what he brought on both sides of the ball, the priority is clear: keep him in black and gold if it can.
The problem is that the Pirates are not bidding against a quiet field. Larger-market clubs have already entered the picture, and Pittsburgh has taken the first formal step to try to keep Lowe from leaving. Still, with rival interest building and the market likely to push hard, this is the kind of negotiation that can move fast and leave a team waiting to find out whether its best internal plan is enough. [Read more 🡒]