The atmosphere at PNC Park was absolutely charged when Paul Skenes managed to strike out Shohei Ohtani on three fastballs, each one clocking in at a blistering 101 miles per hour. The crowd simply erupted, their deafening cheers making it feel like the postseason had finally come back to Pittsburgh. Yet, while Skenes looked every bit like the ace the Pirates promised, the stadium buzz also carried an undercurrent of unease. The whispers weren’t about his dominance; they were about who wasn’t on the mound. Bubba Chandler, Skenes’ highly touted teammate, was watching his role vanish before it even began.

This tension is nothing new in Pittsburgh. Fans have lived this cycle too many times to count: Gerrit Cole left and became a Cy Young winner in Houston. Tyler Glasnow found his stride in Tampa Bay and now headlines the Dodgers’ rotation. Even Charlie Morton, once written off, turned into a postseason weapon elsewhere. Each departure reinforces the same fear: that the Pirates can draft or sign elite arms, but they cannot maximize them under owner Bob Nutting’s watch.

So when Erik Kratz asked on Foul Territory TV, “Why isn’t Bubba Chandler starting?” the reply he relayed from inside the front office hit like déjà vu: the Pirates want to “ease” Chandler into the majors. Kratz didn’t buy it. “It’s confusing why you would have somebody do something completely different when you go up to the big leagues… I feel like that’s what they’re setting up Bubba Chandler to be in a bad spot.” Fans nodded along because they’ve seen the script before.

And the numbers back the frustration. Skenes owns a jaw-dropping 1.88 ERA across 91 innings in 2025, but his win–loss record sits at 4–6. Why? Because the Pirates rank near the bottom of the league in run support and payroll, spending just $76.3 million this season, third lowest in MLB. When a team wastes outings where a pitcher allows one run across seven innings, it’s not just bad luck; it’s systemic neglect.

That’s why Chandler’s situation stings. Instead of getting regular starts to build rhythm, he’s tossed into four-inning stints that disrupt the very role he spent years training for. The situation resembles chaos more than development. Nutting continues to be the main figure in the controversy because he refuses to build a deep roster and refuses to give his pitchers support, and refuses to escape the pattern that drives players away from Pittsburgh.

So while fans cheer every strikeout Skenes delivers, they can’t ignore the pattern. They’ve seen stars bloom elsewhere. They’ve seen promises break. And now they wonder: is Bubba Chandler destined to be the next name on that painful list?

GM Cherington weighs in: Pirates open to Chandler earning a spot in the rotation

When it came to Bubba Chandler’s role after his eye-catching debut, Pirates GM Ben Cherington didn’t dance around the question. “He can earn it,” Cherington said, making it clear that while the 22-year-old right-hander begins in the bullpen, a spot in the rotation is very much within reach. Instantly, the comment sent fans and analysts buzzing; everyone wanted to know how Pittsburgh would handle one of its brightest pitching prospects.

Cherington didn’t sugarcoat the challenge either. “It’s not guaranteed,” he said. “But we made it clear this is the role now. That doesn’t mean he can’t earn starts later, maybe in September or whenever the team feels it’s the right time.” In short, Chandler’s future isn’t going to fall into his lap. What happens next depends on how he pitches, how he deals with the stress, and whether he can maintain consistent performance on the mound. It all comes down to his performance.

The manager’s comments offer some insight into how the Pirates are handling their young pitching talent. By keeping Chandler focused on one task at a time, getting outs whenever he’s on the mound, the Pirates aim to build confidence, rhythm, and trust. It’s a strategy that could see him, much like Paul Skenes and Braxton Ashcraft, make the jump from bullpen work to rotation duty, helping the team gain momentum as they look ahead to next season.