PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need someone to help their bullpen out this season and one external addition could make a big difference.The Minnesota Twins recently released right-handed relief pitcher Matt Bowman on May 20, who triggered his opt-out clause in his contract on May 16, with the Twins deciding not to put him on the 40-man roster, letting him become a free agent.Bowman had a strong showing for Triple-A St. Paul this season, with a 1.69 ERA over 14 appearances and 21.1 innings pitched, 25 strikeouts to six walks, a .222 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.13 WHIP.It's always a risk going after a new relief pitcher, but the Pirates would benefit by giving this veteran a shot right now.Why the Pirates Should Sign BowmanBowman has pitched well this season, but he's also an experienced pitcher at the major league level, pitching in seven seasons for different MLB teams, including 231 bullpen appearances.The Pirates severely lack options in their bullpen that have serious experience, aside from left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto and right-handed relief pitcher Dennis Santana, the only two that have more career appearances than him.May 6, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gregory Soto against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesPittsburgh's bullpen has also struggled throughout May, with pitchers performing inconsistently and the team failing to hold onto leads and get important wins.The Pirates relief pitchers have posted a 5.43 ERA over 53 innings pitched this month, with 10 straight games of allowing a run.Pittsburgh's bullpen blew multiple leads in defeats to the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on May 10, the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park on May 15 and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on May 19. The Pirates have lost four games in a row and sit 24-24, but would've been 27-21 had they finished off those games and would be in a much better spot moving forward.Pittsburgh sits bottom of the National League Central Division, five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers, and can't let that get any further if they have playoff aspirations.Bowman might not single-handedly deliver the postseason to the Pirates, but if he can pitch effectively, he'll serve an important role in a bullpen that needs it. What Bowman Would Bring the PiratesBowman will turn 35 years old on May 31 and made his MLB debut a decade ago, as he's getting to the final years of his professional career.He has pitched for seven different teams in the Cardinals (2016-18), Cincinnati Reds (2019), New York Yankees (2023) and then four teams in 2024 in the Twins, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles, who he also pitched for in 2025. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Matt Bowman (55) pitches against the Detroit Tigers during a game at Chase Field on Friday, May 17, 2024. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORKBowman deploys a five pitches in his arsenal, a sinker, a cutter, a sweeper, a split finger and a four-seam fastball.He doesn't possess incredible velocity, with his sinker sitting around 91-92 mph, but has excelled with mixing up his pitches and deceiving hitters with what he'll throw next.Bowman usually throws the cutter and sweeper off of his sinker, with his splitter and fastball used more sparingly.His best seasons came with the Cardinals, where he induced weak contact and got easy outs, while adding some strikeouts here and there.If Bowman can get back to doing that, he'll excel for the Pirates and give them a reliable option to back up a solid starting rotation.Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow