The Pirates don’t just need bullpen help - they need real late-inning answers.
Mason Montgomery gave Pittsburgh a huge lift in 2026 after arriving from the Tampa Bay Rays in last offseason’s three-team deal, and Luke Weaver still profiles as a borderline elite arm even after a rough 4.96 ERA in 16 1/3 innings following the club’s trade deadline move with the New York Mets. But beyond those two, the relief group gets thin fast.
Yohan Ramírez turned in a 2.86 ERA and 10.8 K/9 over 85 innings to finish as the Pirates’ second-best reliever behind Montgomery this past season, but his career has been streaky and the command issues are still there. Lake Bachar, acquired from the Miami Marlins at the deadline, posted a 2.57 ERA in 28 innings across 15 appearances, though he fits more comfortably as a middle reliever than a trusted high-leverage option.
That’s why Pittsburgh could be in the market for at least one, and maybe two, true bullpen weapons this offseason. One name worth watching: Lucas Erceg.
Erceg’s path to this point has been unusual. Milwaukee took him in the second round of the 2016 MLB Draft as a third baseman, and he began converting to the mound in 2021.
The Oakland Athletics picked him up in May 2023, and he reached the majors with them later that season. Across 88 appearances for the A’s through 2024, he posted a 4.32 ERA with a 3.37 FIP and 10.7 K/9.
Kansas City then landed him from Oakland at the 2024 trade deadline, and Erceg made an immediate impact, delivering a 2.88 ERA over 25 innings the rest of that season. In 2025, he was even better, finishing with a 2.64 ERA in 61 outings and 61 1/3 innings.
This past year, though, was a different story. Erceg went down with a 5.59 ERA in 48 1/3 innings for the Royals, a significant step back on a Kansas City team that finished 69-93 and had the second-worst bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.07.
Still, the full picture suggests there’s something to work with. Erceg averaged 97.2 mph on his fastball, and the contact quality against him remained strong: an 86.3 mph average exit velocity against, a 4.5 percent barrel rate, a 36.5 percent hard-hit rate and a 51.3 percent ground ball rate, per Baseball Savant.
The biggest problem was the strike zone. Erceg’s walk rate jumped to 14.0 percent, way up from 7.2 percent in 2025 and 6.3 percent in 2024.
He also wasn’t missing bats like he had before, with a 14.9 percent strikeout rate and 20.9 percent whiff rate. Even his 19.3 percent strikeout rate in 2025 was modest, but he was still highly effective because he limited hard contact and kept the ball on the ground.
That’s the appeal for Pittsburgh. If the Royals are willing to make Erceg available, the Pirates should be aggressive. He’s under club control through 2029, and the price tag should be manageable.
For a team that isn’t likely to spend big on relievers in free agency, the trade market may be the best route to fixing the back end of the bullpen. Erceg offers a clear buy-low chance, and his track record says he could slot in alongside Montgomery and Weaver as a setup option with real upside.
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