Dennis Santana's tough guy act is just as fake as the Pirates trade rumors

The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has been anything but stable this season. The Pirates rank 22nd in MLB bullpen ERA, which is why Ben Cherington is in search of a serious upgrade at the MLB trade deadline. But before any of that can happen, the Pirates need to figure out which relievers they can trust, and who they cannot. The latter list almost certainly includes Dennis Santana, who started some unnecessary beef with New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero on Monday night.

Santana was frustrated with the 'game speed' as he put it postgame. Caballero tends to take his time in the box. He forces pitchers to adjust to his timing, which is a rarity on today's game, especially with the pitch clock. Thus, Santana exchanged some words with Caballero after getting the Yankees pinch hitter to ground into a double play.

Dennis Santana's tough guy persona was all an act against the Yankees

Hitters need to be in the batter's box by the time there are eight second left on the pitch clock. Players like Caballero wait until the last possible second, and it has disrupted the timing of pitchers like Santana, who is used to working a little quicker. On his way back to the dugout, Santana reportedly yelled something along the lines of 'don’t be that long at home plate,' at Caballero, which started this entire scene.

“It was the game speed. I’m not used to that,” Santana said. “People waiting too much at home plate; it frustrated me a little bit. With baseball, you have to be quick. It’s nothing against him. It’s just a game. I got caught up in the game.”

Now, how does Santana go from starting a fight with Caballero that causes the benches to clear in-game to...whatever soft comment that was? He sounds like a man who knows he's wrong, and perhaps he's right.

“If you get frustrated, I’m winning,” Caballero said. “For me, it’s a battle in the box. I’m trying to win the battle. If you’re not concentrating 100%, I think I’m winning.”

Fair enough. Despite Caballero's double-play, the Yankees won the game 8-5. Just like he said.

Dennis Santana's struggles are more proof Pirates need bullpen help

There is no pitcher in the Pirates bullpen I would trust with the game on the line. Even Gregory Soto, who is the Pirates closer and their best late-inning option, has an ERA far too close to 4.00 for comfort. Pirates insider Jason Mackey went as far as to suggest Santana's outburst could serve as a wake-up call for this 'pen. Odds are, the front office won't see it the same way, especially after Santana considered a Pirates loss his own personal win.

“It’s been a tough season,” Santana said. “I know I’m not doing well. But that doesn’t have nothing to do with [Monday]. [Monday] was a good day. I got a clean inning and look what happened."

Look what happened? You mean, an 8-5 loss to the Yankees in which Braxton Ashcraft got shelled? Sure, Santana wasn't the reason the Pirates lost on Monday, but he has been a consistent issue all season long. He was supposed to be a reliable back-end arm for the Pirates — and is much of the reason Cherington felt comfortable trading David Bednar last July — but his regression as been severe and unpredictable.

Latest Pirates rumors prove help isn't on the way

The Pirates want to trade for bullpen help, but only on their terms. Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Pittsburgh prefers not to add to their payroll at the trade deadline. This is a self-inflicted wound, as Cherington chose to overspend on Marcell Ozuna just prior to spring training instead of adding another relief arm. How's that decision working out, you might wonder? Not well. Ozuna has a .628 OPS and a batting average just north of .200.

Nightengale even reported the Pirates could be interested in trading Oneil Cruz for the right asking price, as it would free up some payroll. This despite the fact Cruz has had his best season to date in Pittsburgh, albeit an injury-riddled one.

Much like Santana, the Pirates talk a big game until it's actually time to act.

More MLB news and analysis:

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• Caleb Durbin has unlocked the unstoppable Red Sox with a near-perfect Alex Bregman impression
• This Dodgers-Angels trade for Reid Detmers would solve L.A.'s sudden pitching crisis

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Dennis Santana's tough guy act is just as fake as the Pirates trade rumors.