Pittsburgh Review

The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired left-handed reliever Jalen Beeks from the Colorado Rockies. In return, the Rockies will receive Minor League left-handed reliever Luis Peralta. The transaction was announced on Monday, prior to the Pirates' 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

Beeks brings six years of Major League experience, having started his career with the Boston Red Sox before a five-year tenure with the Tampa Bay Rays. This season marked his first with the Rockies, where he posted a 4.74 ERA over 49 1/3 innings and recorded nine saves.

Interestingly, Beeks has performed better at Coors Field, known for its hitter-friendly conditions, achieving a 3.81 ERA at home compared to a 6.00 ERA on the road. His underlying metrics are promising as well, with an average exit velocity of 87 mph and an expected ERA of 3.63.

The Pirates have struggled to find a reliable left-handed reliever this season outside of Aroldis Chapman, who is primarily used in late-inning situations rather than specific matchups against left-handed hitters. Ryan Borucki was initially expected to fill this role but has been sidelined due to a nerve injury in his left triceps and is currently undergoing re-evaluation by the team.

With Borucki unavailable, Josh Fleming and Jose Hernandez were relied upon as primary left-handers but both have since been designated for assignment; Fleming opted for free agency after clearing waivers on Monday. Additionally, the bullpen's depth was further impacted by trading Quinn Priester to the Red Sox earlier that day.

In exchange for Beeks, the Pirates are parting with Peralta. The 23-year-old was recently promoted to Double-A Altoona where he allowed two earned runs over 9 2/3 innings while striking out 14 batters. Prior to his promotion, Peralta struck out 50 batters and maintained a remarkable 0.60 ERA in 30 innings with High-A Greensboro.