He's still 5th in innings pitched, and 70 players have started at least 19 games, so it's not like he's the only one in baseball whose being "protected". Like all things in life, the game is changing. Relief pitchers have more value today than in previous generations. Teams spend fortunes to put together a 7th/8th/9th trio to close out games. It's not a Pirates thing. It's an MLB thing.
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