With Aroldis Chapman off the market, teams in search of bullpen help have moved on to other options.
Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that All-Star closer Mark Melancon of the Pittsburgh Pirates is being pursued by multiple teams, including the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants.
Melancon, 31, is having an outstanding season for the Pirates with a 1.51 ERA and 30 saves. He led MLB last season with 51 saves and finished eighth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2015.
Rosenthal notes the Pirates want a major league reliever as part of any deal for the three-time All-Star.
Pittsburgh is currently just two games out of the NL wild card spot. That the Pirates would be willing to part with Melancon is rare for a team still in the hunt, but they have his contract to consider. Melancon is a free agent after this season.
