Coming into the season, the concerns for the Pittsburgh Pirates were in this order: shortstop, offense, fifth starter spot, young starting pitching staff in general, and then the bullpen. However, the bullpen has become one of the biggest question marks on the team. The expectation was that the team would have one of top ten bullpen in baseball that could push for a top five. Instead, their current bullpen ERA is sitting at 4.03.
The biggest issue has been the team’s setup man, Keone Kela. Kela was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates last year at the trade deadline from the Texas Rangers; knowing that he was one of the best relievers available and one of the best bargain as well.