Previewing the Pirates Bullpen Competition
While much is made of the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation, and deservedly so, the bullpen also has plenty of intrigue in its own right.Dennis Santana will open 2026 as the team’s closer. Other locks include Isaac Mattson, Justin Lawrence, and Carmen Mlodzinski. The most notable offseason bullpen addition was Gregory Soto, who the Pirates agreed to sign on a one-year deal at the Winter Meetings for a reported $7.75 million.
Several other arms will be vying for the three remaining spots. Here are the candidates.
In the mix
Cam Sanders: Last offseason, the Pirates signed Cam Sanders to a minor league deal.
Sanders was very efficient pitching for AA Altoona and AAA Indianapolis; combining for a 2.12 ERA in 41 appearances.
On August 5th, Sanders had his contract selected by Pittsburgh. He allowed six runs in 6.2 innings.
Chris Devenski: The Pirates’ most recent bullpen addition is veteran righty Chris Devenski, who was signed to an MiLB deal on January 7th.
Although Devenski spent most of 2025 in the minors, he was impressive in 13 games with the New York Mets; posting a 2.16 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP.
Because of his 10 seasons of MLB service time, Devenski could have a potential opt-out clause in his contract.
Evan Sisk: Bailey Falter was dealt to the Kansas City Royals at last year’s trade deadline. In return, the Bucs received Evan Sisk, along with first base prospect Callan Moss.
Sisk was initially sent to the Indianapolis Indians following the trade. In 14 appearances for the Pirates, the sidearm lefty had an ERA of 4.38.
Soto is going to be Pittsburgh’s primary southpaw in the pen this season, so Sisk will look to claim a spot as another left-handed option.
Kyle Nicolas: Last season, Kyle Nicolas shuttled between the Pirates and Indianapolis.
Nicolas appeared in 31 games for the big league club, as he posted a 4.74 ERA
Combined with a hard fastball that averaged 97.6 mph, along with a solid curveball and slider, Nicolas has shown flashes, but the lack of consistent command is not helping him reach his full potential.
Mason Montgomery: The Pirates made their biggest move on December 19th, when they acquired All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe from the Tampa Bay Rays, as part of a three-team deal. Pittsburgh also received lefty reliever Mason Montgomery in the trade.
Montgomery is an absolute flamethrower. Among qualified left-handed relievers in ‘25, he registered the top average fastball velocity in baseball - at 98.7.
In 57 appearances with Tampa Bay, Montgomery had a 5.67 ERA. However, his 3.92 FIP paints a better picture, while he struck out 63 in 46 innings pitched (12.3 K/9).
Yohan Ramírez: After pitching parts of two seasons with the Pirates in 2022 and 2023, Yohan Ramírez returned to the Bucs last season, on a MiLB deal in July.
Ramírez appeared in 24 games for Pittsburgh, with an ERA of 5.40, a 3.80 FIP, and 45 strikeouts in 33.1 innings of work (12.2 K/9).
Going into spring training, Ramírez will be the only Pirates reliever to be out of options.
Dark horse candidates
Brandan Bidois: One name in the Pirates’ organization that began to draw attention as a relief prospect a year ago was Brandan Bidois.
A native of Australia, Bidois posted a 0.80 ERA in the minors.
In August and September, the 24-year-old right-hander had allowed just one hit in 21.1 innings. For the season as a whole, Bidois recorded an extremely impressive .110 batting average against.
Because Bidois was Rule 5 eligible, the Pirates added him to the 40-man roster this offseason.
Ryan Harbin: Similar to Brandan Bidois, Pittsburgh chose to add another Rule 5 eligible pitcher to the 40-man with Ryan Harbin.
A former 17th round draft choice in 2019, Harbin began last season at High A for Greensboro, where he put up a 2.77 ERA.
On June 24th, the Pirates promoted Harbin to Altoona. He had an ERA of 3.66 with the Curve.
Harbin was then bumped up to Indianapolis on August 12th. His AAA stint was a struggle, as he posted an 11.48 ERA. It didn’t help that he walked more batters (16) than he struck out (15) in 13.1 innings.
The stuff for Harbin is intriguing; relying on an upper-90’s fastball that can touch triple-digits, a plus slider, and a decent splitter. He will need to clean up the control, if he wants to open some eyes in the spring.