The Pittsburgh Pirates’ most recent addition could affect the team's closer depth chart in 2026. With the signing of Gregory Soto during this year's Winter Meetings, the Pirates are bringing in a relief pitcher with experience in a closer role, and someone whose best seasons have come as a ninth-inning arm. As of right now, the closer role should be Dennis Santana’s to lose, and Soto’s to win.
Gregory Soto’s 4.18 ERA in 2025 and 4.53 ERA in 2024 may not look good on the surface, but this is a reliever we're talking about here, and ERA is pretty much the last stat you want to use to evaluate how one will perform in the future.