The Pittsburgh Pirates used Monday’s 2026 MLB trade deadline to shore up a bullpen that has been struggling to keep up. The club added two relievers in separate deals, landing veteran Kirby Yates from the Los Angeles Angels and right-hander Lake Bachar from the Miami Marlins.
Yates arrives as one of the more traveled arms in the game. The 39-year-old is set to become the eighth major league team of his career after Pittsburgh’s deal with Los Angeles, according to Ken Rosenthal and Will of The Athletic. In 31 appearances this season with the Angels, the two-time All-Star went 0-5 with a 3.95 ERA and 3.17 FIP.
Bachar, 31, is headed to a new team for the first time in his MLB career. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported the Pirates’ trade for the right-hander, who had gone 1-2 with a 3.84 ERA and 4.29 FIP in 38 appearances for Miami this season.
The return for Bachar included three prospects for the Marlins: righty Brandan Bidois, infielder Hyun Seung Lee and outfielder Brian Sanchez, as noted by Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Pittsburgh’s bullpen has posted a 4.34 ERA, and the team remains well back in the National League Central, where the Milwaukee Brewers are running away with the division. The Pirates were 56-57 at the time of the report, sitting third in the division and 14 games behind the Brewers. They are also still on the outside of the NL wild-card race, 3.5 games shy of the final spot.
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Pirates Infield Shuffle Just Put Focus On One Short-Term Roster Issue
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Spencer Horwitz was back at first base after his injury layoff, giving Pittsburgh another needed bat and another option for a crowded infield mix. Endy Rodrguez also moved behind the plate, leaving the Pirates with a short-term roster puzzle that is less about long-term roles than about getting everyone through this grind without burning bodies in the wrong spots. [Read more 🡒]