Jeff Passan’s early trade-deadline take points to Pirates bullpen help, with a possible move around their swing depth

With MLB’s trade deadline closing in, ESPN insider Jeff Passan has suggested the Pittsburgh Pirates’ most urgent work may come late in games, potentially via a trade that reshapes their bullpen power and gives them another reliable presence behind a young, fast-evolving core.

By The Apex Times Newsroom3 min readAI-assisted Apex article

Pittsburgh’s season is still building its own case for what it can be, but the Pirates’ trade-deadline profile is already taking a clear shape: add bullpen strength, not a patchwork of stopgaps. ESPN insider Jeff Passan, in an early deadline preview, placed the Pirates in the “Could Acquire… But” category, framing the organization’s decision-making as less about broad needs and more about a targeted answer to late-inning uncertainty.

Passan’s assessment starts with how he views the Pirates’ starting rotation. According to his comments, he feels Pittsburgh’s rotation is “already good enough” that it would not need to be their top priority at the deadline. In other words, the gap that most affects their postseason ceiling is the bullpen, where one missed sequence can flip a close game or turn a one-run lead into a chase.

Through 66 games, the Pirates are reported to be 34-32, a record that keeps them in range of meaningful October conversations rather than forcing a pure fire-sale posture. With the deadline still under two months away and 96 games left once that midseason snapshot was taken, the calculus becomes about trading for leverage: replacing innings and leverage roles with a reliever who can handle higher leverage and more consistent command.

Passan also suggested that the Pirates could explore moving Carmen Mlodzinski as part of their deadline shopping. That idea sits alongside his view that a stronger bullpen arm could be the difference between a competitive late-season team and one that can win series where every pitch matters. He described another power arm as the type of addition that would fit the Pirates’ profile, rather than a rotation-style overhaul.

At the same time, he cited existing internal options, pointing to Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery, and rookie Wilber Dotel as high-octane components already on the roster. The implication is not that Pittsburgh lacks arms, but that it may still be missing the specific profile needed for their most important outs and longest stretches of relief, especially if outcomes tighten against playoff-quality opponents.

Passan’s take included a brief caution about schedule and momentum. He noted that barring a “rough June,” which is not entirely out of the realm of possibility, Pittsburgh will add at the deadline. That matters because even a strong baseline rotation can be undermined if the bullpen is stretched thin against stronger lineups during high-leverage matchups.

For Pittsburgh, the next two months should clarify whether this is a one-reliever correction or a deeper bullpen reshaping. If they remain in the middle of the pack in the standings while games become more consequential, the Pirates’ front office will likely have to decide which bullpen paths they trust and which roles they are willing to upgrade through trade. The most important watch items are how quickly a newly acquired arm can stabilize late leads, and whether Pittsburgh follows through on the possibility of moving bullpen depth to get that power-piece.

In the background, the broader market matters too. Passan’s early framework is part of a larger early-deadline landscape preview for multiple teams and star-level trade candidates, which suggests the Pirates are thinking in the same “buy leverage, not volume” direction that many contenders pursue. For Pittsburgh supporters, the takeaway is straightforward, and it narrows quickly: the Pirates’ rotation is not the headline problem, so their deadline work, if it comes, should show up most clearly in games they decide late.

Why It Matters

For the Pirates, bullpen performance is likely to determine how far their midseason standing can translate into postseason probability.
A single high-leverage reliever can change the outcome of one-run games, which are often the deciding factor in playoff-bound races.
If Pittsburgh trades bullpen depth, it also indicates how the organization values certain roles today versus higher-upside control and future flexibility.
A deadline move centered on relief would reflect a roster-building strategy focused on leverage, aligning with how contenders typically separate in late-season series.

Sources

Key Facts

Jeff Passan has categorized the Pirates as a team that could make an addition at the trade deadline but would need to answer specific roster questions.
Passan’s view is that Pittsburgh’s rotation is already strong enough that a major rotation upgrade is not the team’s top priority.
Passan identified the bullpen as the Pirates’ most significant Achilles heel and suggested it needs a power-armed addition.
Passan said Pittsburgh could consider trading Carmen Mlodzinski as part of any bullpen-focused deal.
Passan cited internal bullpen options including Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery, and rookie Wilber Dotel as higher-octane pieces the Pirates can already draw from.
Passan framed Pittsburgh’s deadline urgency around whether June plays out unevenly, with the implication that action could be needed if performance trends worsen.