PITTSBURGH — It took a little bit of time — probably way longer than most fans would’ve liked — but the Pittsburgh Pirates improved their roster before MLB’s trade deadline for the 2026 season came to pass.

While this year’s club has a few notable flaws, its biggest wart, by a mile, was the bullpen.

The Pirates needed right-handed relief pitchers. In the end, they added four: Camilo Doval, Luke Weaver, Kirby Yates and Lake Bachar. All of them are overall better options than what Don Kelly has had to choose from for the bulk of the season.

“The bullpen was an area we intended to strengthen,” general manager Ben Cherington told local media over zoom Monday evening. “We feel good about the individual pitchers coming onto the team.”

There’s plenty to like about the Pirates’ new right-handed quartet.

Doval and Weaver come with an additional year of club control, while Bachar won’t hit free agency until 2031. Bachar is the lone member of the group without postseason experience, but he offers the most long-term upside and versatility.

Each newcomer should fill a much needed role, from multiple-inning usage to high-leverage spots. It should also allow left-handers Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery, the two best full-time relievers the Pirates have deployed this year, to take on a far more appropriate workload.

And all of this help came at more than reasonable cost.

Sammy Stafura, rated the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was the lone top 10 prospect the Pirates moved.

One year after Stafura was acquired for Ke’Bryan Hayes, Cherington managed to flip him for Weaver, perhaps the best reliever traded at this year’s deadline. The New York Mets were interested enough in the young shortstop to eat a significant chunk of the cash remaining on Weaver’s contract. Talk about winning the long game.

Other low level depth pieces acquired at last year’s deadline were also put to good use.

Outfielder Brian Sanchez, acquired in the David Bednar trade, was part of the package used to get Bachar, who will essentially serve as a second Carmen Mlodzinski — or rather a version of Mlodzinski that willingly pitches in numerous roles out of the bullpen.

Omar Alfonzo, a catcher who was Rule 5 eligible next season, was the only other prospect inside the organization’s top 20 to be traded, going to the New York Yankees for Doval, a project more than worthwhile now that further right-handed depth has been added.

And last but not least, Yates was acquired for Kyle Robinson, who was traded to the Pirates earlier this year for Alika Williams — a quad-A shortstop not even on the 40-man roster at the time of his departure.

“We feel like the prices made sense,” Cherington said. “We’re going to look forward to getting to know all of these guys and seeing them come together in the clubhouse now.”

Overall, the Pirates gave up what looks to be very little for a group that could have a pretty significant impact this season. The bullpen should no longer be an issue. It’s still far from amazing, but it shouldn’t need to be on this club.

Not as long as the rest of the roster now upholds its end of the bargain.

This team still has other flaws. The lineup has injuries, as does the starting rotation. The Pirates were unable to add another right-handed bat or additional starting pitching depth. That, however, shouldn’t make or break this club.

Unlike the bullpen, the lineup and rotation had enough talent get by.

Spencer Horwitz is back, thus helping lessen the blow of Ryan O’Hearn’s injury. The return of Oneil Cruz will be a major late-season addition. The same can be said for whenever Konnor Griffin returns in September, a time of the year where the Pirates should now absolutely expect to still be playing meaningful games.

The lineup has managed to get by without being at full health all season. It’s no different now. Those available have to find a way to get the job done.

The same can be said for the starting rotation, which as I noted last month will be the group who ultimately determines how far this team goes. Paul Skenes simply has to figure it out. Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler have to dig deep for a strong finish.

Mlodzinski got his wish, landing back in the rotation due to Mitch Keller’s season ending injury. He better make the most of it. And on the note of maximizing opportunities, it’s time to give Jared Jones a bit more leash, especially now that the club has a more stable bullpen that can help him finish the job.

The National League wild-card race is tight. On Monday, a few teams, some that were ahead of the Pirates in the standings, waved the white flag. They sold at the deadline, while Cherington and Co. doubled down.

“Ultimately we just believe that we should give this group a chance to be as good as it can be for the next two months,” Cherington said. “I think the group loves playing together. You can see that. You see the fight and the bounce back when we do have a tough day.

“We’re just gonna give it everything we have for the next two months, and we’ll see where the outcomes take us, but we’re excited to dive into that together and see what happens.”

Credit to the Pirates, especially Cherington, for not losing the faith. Now it’s time for his players, especially the ones who were here from the start of the season, to reward the front office’s efforts and finish the job.

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