September has a way of stripping away the noise, and for the Pirates it’s already sharpening the picture of who fits into 2027 and who doesn’t.
If Pittsburgh is serious about entering next season with contender expectations, the back end of the roster can’t be treated like a comfort zone. Familiarity alone won’t cut it. The Pirates need to churn the bottom of the group, spend money where it actually moves the needle, and in one case decide whether the talent is worth the baggage.
Carmen Mlodzinski has made that call a lot easier.
The arm talent is real. He has a 3.87 ERA in 114 innings while moving between the rotation, bullpen and bulk-relief work.
But the season also included a moment the Pirates can’t just wave away. When Mlodzinski was removed from the rotation after Jared Jones returned, he was visibly frustrated, later told the organization he wasn’t ready to pitch out of the bullpen, and Pittsburgh put him on the restricted list.
Being unhappy about losing a starting role is one thing. Refusing to be available because the assignment isn’t what you want is another.
Mlodzinski eventually came back and said the right things, but the episode left a real question hanging over how he handles a role he doesn’t prefer. With Skenes, Jones, Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft giving the Pirates a strong starting foundation, Mlodzinski now looks more like a trade chip than someone the club needs to build around in 2027.
Gregory Soto is pushing in a different direction, but the conclusion may be the same.
Saturday at Wrigley Field was another reminder that Pittsburgh doesn’t have to force a reunion. Soto took over with a 3-2 lead after seven strong innings from Paul Skenes and couldn’t finish the job. He issued an RBI walk, then hit Nico Hoerner with the bases loaded to bring in the winning run in a 4-3 loss.
That outing will sting, but it shouldn’t erase the bigger picture. Soto’s season has still been solid, with a 3.08 ERA and 14 saves.
The issue is the contract and the timing. He’s on a one-year, $7.75 million deal and is set for free agency after the season.
That money can be redirected.
Mason Montgomery has emerged as a real late-inning piece, and the Pirates have other bullpen arms they can control. Rather than handing another veteran reliever a fresh deal, Pittsburgh should let Soto’s salary come off the books, add to it, and chase another veteran starter. With the rotation carrying so much upside, depth matters, especially after Keller’s injury and Ashcraft’s late-season arm issue showed how fast pitching can thin out.
Billy Cook’s situation is much more straightforward.
He’s batting .176 with a .443 OPS, no home runs and two RBI in 51 at-bats this season. Cook brings speed, can play the outfield and offers some defensive flexibility, but the final spots on a contender’s roster need a skill that actually changes games on a regular basis. Right now, he hasn’t shown enough with the bat to justify keeping one of those places reserved for him.
That’s the bigger theme for Pittsburgh this winter: raise the floor. Fewer automatic returns.
Fewer long auditions. Fewer roster spots handed out because of what a player might become someday.
In Other News...
Pirates Suddenly Have A Brandon Lowe Problem They Can't Ignore
Brandon Lowe has become one of the more important players on the Pirates roster in 2026, giving the club real value on both sides of the ball. His power has shown up at the plate, his defense has taken a step forward, and those two things together have made him much more than just another productive regular in the middle of the lineup.
The problem for Pittsburgh is that this kind of season tends to put a player in a different market by winter, and Lowe is headed toward the end of his contract with that reality looming over the rest of the year. For a team that needs impact bats and steady run prevention, the challenge is no longer just enjoying what he brings now. It is figuring out how to keep him from reaching free agency with his value peaking. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Get One Encouraging Injury Sign Amid A Brutal Loss
The injury news around the Pirates brought a mixed update in the middle of a rough stretch, with Esmerlyn Valdez now officially out for the rest of the season after suffering a left hamstring injury, according to general manager Ben Cherington. It is a tough hit for a team already trying to navigate a difficult run, and it removes another piece from the outfield mix as the year winds down.
Kirby Yates offers a much more encouraging sign, with the reliever expected back from a right shoulder impingement during the upcoming homestand. Pittsburgh also has reason for cautious optimism with Braxton Ashcraft, whose right arm discomfort does not appear to involve any major structural injury, leaving the club with at least a pair of positives as it tries to get healthier. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Could Ease Don Kellys Biggest Challenge With Veteran Dugout Help
Don Kelly stepped into the Pirates managers chair in May 2025 after Derek Shelton was dismissed, and the early read on him has been pretty clear: he brings energy, familiarity and a steady presence to a job that can swallow even experienced baseball people. The Pirates have already shown a willingness to surround him with help, adding former manager Gene Lamont as an advisor in 2025, a move that underscores how much value the club places on having another seasoned voice nearby.
The next layer could be even more interesting. Kellys biggest challenges have centered on the in-game choices that come with managing every night, the kind of decisions where a veteran sounding board can make a real difference. That is why former Pirates manager Clint Hurdle keeps coming up as a possible resource, given what he accomplished in Pittsburgh and the kind of dugout perspective he could offer if the club chooses to lean further into its old hands. [Read more 🡒]