The Pirates’ bullpen has definitely had its fair share of faults early in the 2026 season. However, the Pirates have a good chance of becoming buyers this summer, and the trade market is usually filled with solid relief pitchers. One that could become available in the very near future is Baltimore Orioles’ set-up man Yennier Cano. He is a name that should definitely be on the Pirates’ radar. However, what would a trade for the one-time All-Star look like for the Bucs?
Pirates acquire: Yennier Cano
Orioles acquire: Levi Sterling, Yordany De Los Santos
Cano burst onto the scene in 2023 with an outstanding rookie season and followed that up with another strong campaign in 2024. He tossed a combined 132.2 innings while putting up a 2.58 ERA, struck out 24.4% of batters faced, and only handed out a walk 7% of the time. Cano’s biggest strength was limiting ground balls. His GB% came in at 60.2%, which was the fourth-best mark in baseball among qualified relievers during these two seasons.
Cano struggled badly in 2025. His ERA shot up above 5.00 at 5.12, he only struck out 21.1% of batters, and his ground ball rate fell to 54.8%. However, he’s off to a strong start to 2026. He has only allowed two earned runs through his first 9.2 innings of the year. Good peripherals support his results. Cano’s chase rate went from just 29.1% last year to 36.5% so far this year. Meanwhile, his whiff percentage has risen from 23.5% to 29.7%. Cano dropped his change-up for a splitter with well-above-average movement and low-90s velocity. His FanGraphs Stuff+ went from 100 last year to 110 this year. That is much more akin to his 113 Stuff+ in 2023-2024.
Going back to the Orioles would be two prospects. One is pitching prospect Levi Sterling. The Pirates selected Sterling with their first-round competitive balance pick in 2024. Although Sterling struggled in 34 innings in 2025, he is off to a much more promising start in 2026. His 5.28 ERA through 15.1 innings doesn’t fully do him justice. He has struck out a third of opponents, with a roughly league-average 13.3% BB% (the average in the Florida State League is 13%). His 2.35 HR/9 ratio is not sustainable. Sterling’s HR:FB ratio is 33.3%. For reference, Aaron Judge’s HR:FB ratio in 2022, when he set an American League single-season home run record, was 35.3%. Sterling is still inducing a whiff 34.2% of the time.
Sterling is already sitting 93-94 MPH with his four-seam fastball and sinker in just his age-19 season. He also improved his extension off the mound from 6.3 inches last year to 6.6 inches this year. At 6’5”, 202-LBS, there’s certainly room for him to add another tick of velo. Sterling also throws three breaking balls. One is a low-80s, high-spin curveball. The other is a mid-80s slider. The third breaker is a mid-to-high-80s cutter. He finally rounds out his pitch mix with an upper-80s change-up.
Also heading to the Orioles in this trade is infield prospect Yordany De Los Santos. De Los Santos was one of the Pirates’ best international signings during the 2021-2022 offseason. While he hasn’t developed as fast as hoped, De Los Santos is still young and is showing potential. The 21-year-old got off to a hot start, with three hits, including a home run, a walk, and only two K’s through his first nine plate appearances at High-A Greensboro. Unfortunately, he has been sidelined on the IL since April 4th, but is starting his rehab.
De Los Santos is a versatile infielder, logging over 300 innings at second base, third base, and shortstop. He is considered an above-average defender with a strong enough arm to play on the left side of the infield. De Los Santos is also a fast runner. Not only has that helped him swipe 123 bags in 316 minor league games, but it also gives him some range up the middle. While he has shown good raw power, and his 6’2” frame could lead to even more strength, he has had trouble making contact consistently.
The main inspiration for this mock trade is the 2024 trade deadline swap between the Tampa Bay Rays and San Diego Padres, where the Rays sent right-handed reliever Jason Adam to San Diego for a package of three prospects. The two notable names heading back to Tampa Bay were pitching prospect Dylan Lesko and outfield prospect Homer Bush Jr.
Like Lesko, Sterling is also a recent high school pitcher draft pick. However, Lesko was struggling at the time of the trade. He was also a former Tommy John recipient. Bush Jr. is considered a high-floor/low-ceiling type prospect, given his strong defense and baserunning, but a lack of an above-average hit or power tool. De Los Santos is a similar type of prospect. He has a chance of making it as an above-average defensive utility infielder, though his bat may have some question marks.
Cano and Adam also have a handful of similarities. Cano still has control through the 2028 season, giving him two more full seasons remaining on his contract after 2026. When the Rays traded Adam, he also had two seasons of control left on his contract after 2024. Adam was also not a primary closer, just like Cano.
Cano has proven to be a quality setup man in three of the last four MLB seasons. He’s not going to come at a cheap cost, and both Sterling and De Los Santos are very high-ceiling prospects. However, the Pirates could really use some bullpen help, and Cano isn’t just a one-year rental. The prospect cost the Pirates would be worth it if the Orioles were giving it.
