​The Pittsburgh Pirates’ primary objective in their trade with the Tampa Bay Rays over the offseason wasn’t to add their closer of the future, but they might’ve done just that anyway.When Pittsburgh added Brandon Lowe, the Rays were also kind enough to throw in hard-throwing right-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery. The potential to be a high-leverage arm was there, but the consistency wasn’t.A lot of those same struggles that caused Tampa Bay to let Montgomery go were still prevalent during the first part of the season, but his second half has a complete 180, and in the best way possible. Since the beginning of July, Montgomery has been one of baseball’s best relievers with a 0.86 ERA and a 0.62 WHIP. He’s not letting runners get on base and barely letting them put the ball in play, with a strikeout rate of 52.6 percent.Those are the type of numbers, especially the swing and miss, that are the recipe for a dominant closer. Even manager Don Kelly has recognized that, which is why Montgomery has six saves over this stretch.Aug 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Mason Montgomery (46) is congratulated by catcher Henry Davis after the Pirates defeated the Boston Red Sox at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn ImagesThere’s a chance that Montgomery continues to get even better as a high-leverage pitcher, considering he’s still learning what it takes to be a reliever. The 27-year-old was a starter in the Minor Leagues. The Pirates always saw the potential for the type of impact Montgomery could make. “You could see the raw traits, the raw stuff, and delivery and athleticism that you could project and say, ‘Okay, if this clicks and he gets confidence, and maybe there’s some adjustments left. This has got a chance to be not just a major league reliever, but a really good one.’ 
And that’s what we’re seeing happening now,” said Ben Cherington in a recent interview.The Pirates added that one reason he believes Montgomery has taken such a big jump in a short time is that he’s pitching with much more confidence as he gets more comfortable in his role. They recently acquired Luke Weaver, and Montgomery has taken turns in the ninth inning over the last month, when the game has allowed it, given Pittsburgh’s offensive woes.However, with Weaver under contract only through 2027 and Montgomery not even reaching arbitration yet, the future is clearly with the latter player. Even if Lowe does walk in free agency, the Pirates could back on this trade at least, saying they added a key bullpen arm for the future.