Advertisement

Pirates upgrade bullpen with Joakim Soria, but what's next?

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first acquisition of the trade deadline Thursday, picking up reliever Joakim Soria from the Detroit Tigers.

The Pirates bullpen may not have been the team's biggest area of need, but grabbing Soria is a clear upgrade for a team that has been on fire over the past month or so. By traditional numbers, the Pirates' pen actually rates well. The team's relievers have compiled a 2.71 ERA, which ranks fourth in the game.

The advanced stats tell a slightly different story. The team's 3.59 FIP puts them in the middle of the pack. Looking at some of the peripherals of the players currently in the team's pen, you can see why that's the case.

(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

[Friday Daily Fantasy contest: Turn $5 into $5K]

Tony Watson has been excellent, and should continue to be a useful part. Despite some decline in his strikeout rate, Mark Melancon has also been strong. After that, there's some uncertainty. Jared Hughes strikeout and walks rates don't blow you away, but he has a 1.99 ERA this season. Hughes posted a 1.96 ERA last year with similar peripherals, so maybe that's just his thing?

Those three should continue to operate in high-leverage roles. Soria probably slides in somewhere between Melancon and Watson. Despite the fact that Melancon is the closer, Watson is probably the best reliever on the club. Soria and Melancon probably have equal value moving forward.

In other words, Soria definitely helps the clubs bullpen. He's seen some decline from last season, but remains effective. And though he's been hit by the home run bug a bit this year, that could just be small sample shenanigans. He and Watson should share late-inning duties, while Melancon takes the ninth. Hughes will slot in there somewhere, giving the Pirates a number of solid options.

The bigger question is whether this will lead to more trades for Pittsburgh. The St. Louis Cardinals just lost Matt Holliday, and are starting to look pretty vulnerable at the top of the National League Central. They've been effective despite injuries all season, but you have to wonder if things are going to catch up with them at some point.

[Follow our trade deadline tracker for the latest MLB news and rumors.]

The same can be said with both the Washington Nationals and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both teams have been good despite some injuries, but both have holes.

With another big move or two, the Pirates can really set themselves up as an elite contender in the NL. The team has already played like one lately, but a move for an offensive piece could make them the favorite.

By wRC+, an advanced stat that measures team offense, the club is about middle of the pack. Gregory Polanco, while young, hasn't hit well this season and we know Justin Upton and Yoenis Cespedes are available. An upgrade at first wouldn't hurt either.

The addition of Soria is a good start, but the Pirates can really make waves with another big addition. The NL, and the division, could be up for grabs, and the Pirates can really take hold of both with another move.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

- - - - - - -

Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik