The Pirates may have passed on Mason Miller at the trade deadline, but Tuesday night in San Diego made that decision look a lot smarter.
Pittsburgh was reportedly one of the top three teams in the mix for the Padres closer, along with the Mariners and Yankees. That kind of talent always comes with a steep price, and Miller - under team control through 2029 - was never going to come cheap. The Pirates would have had to part with a massive prospect package to get him.
Instead, they held onto their young talent. A few weeks later, that choice suddenly looks a whole lot more reasonable.
The twist came in the ninth inning at Petco Park. Miller entered the frame with a ridiculous streak intact: 76 2/3 straight innings without allowing a home run, the longest active run in baseball. Then Oneil Cruz snapped it with a blast into the seats to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
Unreal.
Over a year since Mason Miller's last homer, couldn't have come at a bigger moment! https://t.co/HPaqrU118i pic.twitter.com/qUASvbmJDY
- SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) August 26, 2026
And once the Pirates had the lead, Mason Montgomery handled the rest.
Montgomery worked a hitless ninth, walked one and struck out two to pick up his sixth save. He’s now riding an 11.1-inning scoreless streak, during which he has punched out 22 hitters and issued only three walks.
For the season, Montgomery has put together a 3.19 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP and an 87:22 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 53.2 innings.
That doesn’t mean Montgomery is Miller, or that he’s suddenly better. Miller is still one of the most overpowering relievers in the sport, a two-time All-Star who can make elite hitters look ordinary. There’s a reason San Diego’s asking price was so massive.
But that’s exactly why the Pirates’ decision matters. With as many holes as this roster has, giving up premium young talent for a closer - even one as dominant and controllable as Miller - was always going to be a hard sell.
A shutdown ninth-inning arm can make a good team feel dangerous. It can’t fix an offense on its own.
Montgomery’s rise changes the picture even more. Pittsburgh can head into the offseason with a legitimate chance that the ninth inning already belongs to a 25-year-old left-hander who is missing bats at a huge clip, and they didn’t have to burn through their young core to get him.
Tuesday night was the cleanest possible illustration of the whole thing: the elite closer the Pirates didn’t trade for gave up the game’s biggest swing, while the closer they already had finished it off.
In Other News...
Pirates Face A Telling Decision On A Power Bat They Need
The Pirates are once again staring at the kind of midseason opportunity that can alter a roster in a hurry. With the Reds reportedly putting Eugenio Surez on outright waivers, the market has opened for any club willing to jump in during a 48-hour window, and Pittsburgh is among the teams weighing whether the cost is worth the potential boost. Surez has shown better form since the All-Star break, and his right-handed power would fit a lineup that could use another dangerous bat.
Of course, claiming him would mean taking on the rest of his salary, which sits just under $3 million. That is not an enormous price for a club looking for offense, but it is still the kind of decision that can reveal how serious the Pirates are about trying to upgrade now rather than waiting for the bigger move later. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Horwitz Has Become A Real Problem For The Pirates Lineup
Spencer Horwitzs return on Aug. 2 was supposed to give the Pirates a needed boost after he missed 33 games with a left hamstring injury and a concussion. Instead, his reentry has been part of the clubs broader second-half offensive slide, with the lineup looking increasingly short on consistent production as the playoff race tightens.
Horwitz has been candid about his own struggles, and the numbers back up the frustration. He has hit just .159 since coming back, with limited extra-base power and little run production, leaving Pittsburgh still searching for the kind of collective offensive rebound that can keep its postseason hopes alive. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Prospect Is Forcing A Tough September Decision
Mitch Jebb has spent this season making a case that the Pirates can no longer treat him as a long-term project only. After recovering from a thumb injury, the outfield prospect has shown more power at Triple-A Indianapolis, giving Pittsburgh a different look at a player whose value has always gone beyond one tool. With roster decisions looming as September approaches, Jebb has put himself on the radar in a way that can complicate the usual end-of-season shuffle.
For the Pirates, the timing matters. Expanded rosters create room for a look, and Jebb is also edging toward Rule 5 Draft eligibility, which raises the stakes of every call the organization makes over the next few weeks. If Pittsburgh finds itself further from the playoff race, the club could lean into evaluation mode and start thinking about whether Jebb belongs on the 40-man roster or in line for a chance to help in 2027 as a versatile option. [Read more 🡒]