Is Santana the answer at closer for new-look Bucs?

August 6th, 2025

PITTSBURGH -- In the first week in the post-David Bednar era, the Pirates have been snakebitten twice.

The first time came on Aug. 1 -- the first day after the Deadline -- when surrendered the final five runs in a wild Rockies comeback. The second came Wednesday at PNC Park, where the Giants rallied off of Isaac Mattson and Santana in the eighth and ninth, as the Pirates would lose to the Giants, 4-2.

Trying to protect a 2-1 lead in the eighth, Mattson loaded the bases and was pulled with just one out, as manager Don Kelly hoped Santana could get a five-out save. Matt Chapman lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game in the eighth, while Dom Smith doubled home Jung Hoo Lee in the ninth for the deciding run.

Santana is a natural choice to take over the ninth inning now that Bednar is a Yankee, an opportunity he’s earned. He allowed seven earned runs through his first 46 games before the Trade Deadline, totaling 46 1/3 innings (1.36 ERA). He pitched plenty of high-leverage innings, including the ninth, picking up six saves in that time when Bednar was either in the Minors or working towards the closer job again.

In his last three outings since the Trade Deadline, Santana has now allowed seven earned runs, and his season ERA has nearly doubled to 2.57.

“The first half was incredible, so I know that they got the player who had six months without giving up many runs,” Santana said.

The bullpen has been taxed lately, and a 4 2/3-inning start by Andrew Heaney did not help matters much. There are also some new faces in that bullpen after Bednar and Caleb Ferguson, two of Kelly’s go-to leverage arms, were dealt. Those moves created an immediate need for guys who could throw the late innings.

“We've talked about that opportunity that guys are going to get,” Kelly said. “Talking about guys are going to step up into mid-leverage, high-leverage roles, and they're going to get an opportunity to pitch in those situations.

“Today, it's hard. Mattson and Santana have been so good for us. It's hard to blame them at all for what happened. I thought they threw the ball pretty well.”

And when it comes to mapping out who will factor into the ninth moving forward, Santana is the guy right now.

“He's going to get the bulk of the opportunities there,” Kelly said. “He's earned that, the way that he's thrown.”

Santana has been working towards this opportunity ever since he was claimed off waivers in June of last year. In that time, he’s shown that his slider can bite out of the zone and get whiffs while also challenging hitters with four-seamers and cutters. On Wednesday, he was done in on a hanging changeup to Lee and a cutter to Smith that was off the plate but up. They are his secondary offerings, and the Giants pounced on them.

In his two years, Santana has seen what the leadership of a closer can bring to a team. This Spring Training, he attributed a lot of his success to former Pirate Aroldis Chapman, who taught him a routine on the field and in the weight room that helped him reach that next level. Bednar had been not only one of the team’s best relievers in his time with the Pirates, but also an example of a player to emulate and a glue guy for the room.

The closer is usually the leader of the bullpen, and that is going to fall to Santana.

“I think I’ve got to be the same guy,” Santana said. “If I’ve got to help my teammates, [I’ll] do it. With them gone, if I’ve got to take Dave’s spot and help anybody, I’m going to be like, that’s good with me.”

That’s just one of the responsibilities that comes with the new role. If things go sideways in the ninth, he’s the one who is accountable. That can lead to extra pressure, but that’s not an issue for Santana.

“There’s no pressure. I like the pressure,” Santana said.