After years of speculation, the Pirates traded their closer at last summer’s deadline. David Bednar was shipped to the Bronx for a three-player package entitled Catching Prospect Rafael Flores. That opened the ninth inning for the breakout setup man Dennis Santanawho got an extended run as closer for the first time in his career.
Santana has been a revelation since the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Yankees in June 2024. The Dominican Republic-born right-hander threw 44 1/3 innings of 2.44 ERA ball that year, providing some stability to the fifth team of his big league career. He started this season in a setup role, but briefly took over as closer when Bednar’s early-season struggles resulted in him being demoted to Triple-A. Bednar was back in the ninth at the end of April, but the closer role became Santana’s for good after the deadline.
The different roles did not hold him back. The 29-year-old Santana shot 70 1/3 frames with a career-best 2.18 earned run average. He recorded 16 saves and 12 holds while only giving up three leads all season. Santana had a less impressive 3.75 ERA after the trade deadline, but that’s mainly due to a five-run outburst at Coors Field on August 1. He worked to a 1.90 ERA while holding opponents to a .152/.236/.291 slash in 23 appearances after that.
Santana doesn’t have the usual closer profile. He struckout 22.2% of batters, right around the league average for big league relievers. His average fastball velocity of 94.7 MPH is fine, but not exceptional for someone who plays late innings. Santana’s wipeout slider is his bread-and-butter offering, a pitch that gets enough whiffs that teams can predict his strikeout rate will increase by a few percentage points. He never will be Mason Millerhowever, and most clubs would likely project Santana more as the second or third best arm in a contending bullpen.
Pittsburgh received trade interest in Santana at the deadline. The Phillies were the only team specifically known to have signed, but it stands to reason that the Bucs have heard from at least a handful of clubs. They clearly did not find an offer to their liking. They are now in their final season of contractual control. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Santana at a salary of $3.4 million that would easily fit within any team’s budget, even one with payrolls as low as the Bucs.
The Pirates aren’t intentionally rebuilding, but they are coming off a 71-91 season, which marked a step back from their back-to-back 76-win campaigns before that. Should the Pirates view this offseason as a sales opportunity while on loan? Isaac Mattson, Justin Lawrence And Carmen Mlodzinski competing for ninth? Will they?
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