The bullpen isn’t exactly working out well for the Pirates so far this year. They’re 26th in both bullpen ERA and xFIP. That’s in spite of David Bednar, and the sudden emergence of Wil Crowe and Dillon Peters, although it looks like Peters might be a starter now. The lack of even passable options was especially stark during the recent 1-5 homestand.
Derek Shelton has gotten a lot of plaudits for his pre-ninth inning use of Bednar, but the more significant aspect of that usage has gone largely unnoticed: Shelton has to use Bednar that way because he has no other options.