The Pittsburgh Pirates have a rare opportunity in the modern-day Major League Baseball.
On Friday, Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced that David Bednar would be removed from the closer’s role, with the Pirates going with a committee approach. Earlier this week, Bednar allowed five runs in 0.2 innings as part of one of the worst losses in franchise history. It was his third blown save of the month, with two other games where he took the loss entering a tie game. Bednar has four saves and four losses in the month of August.
Earlier this season, Bednar went through a similar stretch, blowing three of four save chances to open the season. He went on to settle down for a few months, looking like the elite reliever he’s been over the last few seasons. That run ended when August came around.
The closer’s role has been a fixture for teams in baseball over the last few decades. The role requires that one pitcher always be available to pitch in the ninth inning, in any situation where his team has the lead with the tying run on deck.
For the individual, this requires a level of consistency that is difficult to maintain. The closer never knows if he will be needed that day. When he is needed, it’s on short notice. A closer can throw several days in a row, or once in a week, depending on how the team is performing. High-leverage situations are much more consistent, but don’t always reside in the ninth inning.
Bednar will get a chance to pitch outside of the confines of the ninth inning, as the Pirates turn to a committee in the ninth. This gives them two opportunities.
First, it gives Bednar the opportunity to pitch in high-leverage situations outside of the closer role. He can still provide value to the team, possibly on a more consistent basis, working in these undefined roles.
The Pirates also have the opportunity to go without the closer role. They can opt for whichever reliever is feeling it that night, or play the matchups for the ninth inning situation.
The closer role can be a curse for teams who don’t have an automatic guy in the ninth inning. Very few relief pitchers are automatic over the long-term. They all enter slumps like Bednar has seen, either in a month, a year, or longer. If you have a designated closer, you need to keep him in the position through these slumps, or invite controversy as to who might replace him.
With Bednar struggling and out of the role, that controversy is already invited. The Pirates aren’t going with a specific replacement, and they really shouldn’t rush to anoint a single pitcher into the role. They would have more flexibility giving multiple guys an opportunity to get saves in the ninth, including Bednar, while putting more focus on keeping the entire bullpen consistently fresh.
The latter is more difficult when you have relievers set to specific roles according to the closer structure.
Andrew McCutchen Returns, But Pirates Lose
The Pirates got Andrew McCutchen back on Friday, with McCutchen being activated off the injured list. The franchise icon returned in a big way.
McCutchen went 2-for-5 with three RBIs. He hit his 15th double of the year in the fifth inning, knocking in two runs to tie the score. McCutchen later scored on a two-run homer by Rowdy Tellez, as part of a six run inning.
With the Pirates down by three in the ninth, McCutchen launched his 17th home run, cutting the lead to two. The homer was hit 369 feet at 103.1 MPH.
The Pirates ended up losing 10-8 to the Guardians.
Pirates Prospect Watch
Braxton Ashcraft returned to the mound for Indianapolis on Friday, throwing one inning with an unearned run. Matt Fraizer hit a walk-off homer for Altoona. Shalin Polanco homered for Bradenton. Read about all of Friday’s minor league action in the latest Pirates Prospect Watch.
