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Comparing the “new” Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen to the rest of Major League Baseball

The Pittsburgh Pirates remember the success they enjoyed from 2013 through 2015, and the club was likely lost in reminiscence when recalling the “shark tank.”

Jason Grilli, Tony Watson and Mark Melancon kicked things off back in 2012, reaching their heights as a trio in 2013. Grilli departed, yet Melancon and Watson stepped right up to keep the party going. Names floated in and out — Jared Hughes, Justin Wilson, Joakim Soria and Joe Blanton just to name a few — but the idea remained static: A lengthy bullpen that wasn’t just top heavy.