The Yankees and Pirates are in talks on a trade that would send closer David Bednar from Pittsburgh to the Bronx, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. New York is seen by others pursuing Bednar as a front-runner to acquire him, though a deal is not yet in place. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds that the Bucs are still discussing Bednar with several clubs, but the Yankees consider him their top option.
Bednar, 30, is one of the top controllable relievers on the market. The hard-throwing 6’1″ righty is making $5.9MM this season and is under club control for one more year. He’s owed about $1.87MM of that sum for the balance of the season, though the Yankees would pay a 110% luxury tax on him, making the total financial outlay closer to $3.9MM.
A former All-Star, Bednar struggled through a brutal 2024 season and had a rough start to his 2025 campaign. The Bucs optioned him to Triple-A in late March, and Bednar has been an absolute behemoth since returning. In 37 frames, he’s posted a dazzling 1.70 ERA with a 34.5% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. It’s some of the best work of Bednar’s career — even better than what had been a 2021-23 peak that saw him post a combined 2.25 ERA, 31.2% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.
Bednar surely holds extra appeal for the Yankees, given that additional season of club control. Top relievers like Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are both set to reach free agency at season’s end. Bednar would be able to pitch in any high-leverage role necessary in 2025 and could step into the ninth inning for the 2026 season, depending on whether Williams and/or Weaver are retained.
The Pirates have looked into trading Bednar in the past, though he’s a Pittsburgh native and favorite of owner Bob Nutting, who has reportedly intervened in some of his front office’s past discussions surrounding a Bednar trade. With the Pirates in the midst of another disappointing season and already having dismissed manager Derek Shelton, it’s seen as more likely that ownership will step to the side and let the front office earnestly explore the possibility.
The Rangers, Tigers, Phillies and Dodgers have all reportedly shown interest in Bednar this month as well, although the Phillies are likely done adding to the ’pen after acquiring Jhoan Duran, and the Tigers have already acquired a trio of veteran relievers (Kyle Finnegan, Rafael Montero, Paul Sewald).
Will Cashman actually pull the trigger this time or will he let another playoff team have them again
Probably not. Did you see Bryan Hock’s quote of Boone?
Hopefully he does because they desperately need the BP help.
Secretly hoping for a SS acquisition too…..
Yankees have plenty of prospects to deal: Jones, Lombard, Flores, even Dominguez — if it brings back the pitching the NYY need.
You dont move Jones, Lombard, or Dominguez for a RP with 1.5 years left on their contract
if you want to win a world series this year you do
Theyre not winning a world series by moving Jones for Bednar get real lmaooo
another immature person who supports the Yankees.
Must be a contagious disease
Bednar just got traded lil buddy youre gonna freak when you see its not Jones, Lombard, or Dominguez
And then you fall into the Horace Clarke decades of losing……
Jones didn’t go for Bednar….only “prospects” lower and/0r less relevant……
Competing against Cashman is fun, because he babies his players and has their backs even when they stink!!!
Bednar is great , but Cashman has the ability to lower his players “self expectation of themselves” , thus getting less out of them…
You know he’s going to be fired – it’s just a case of guessing “how much damage do I allow him to inflict on the team, before we show him the door!!!??
Florida coach: I wish you were wrong, but you’re not.
Floridacoach I’d say it’s less babying his players more of Cashman refusing to admit he was wrong about them. His ego is writing checks this team can’t cash.
If Cherington doesn’t get who he wants, Bednar will be pitching for the Pirates the rest of this season
Yankees will again choke like usual. 1 WS win in 20+ years is a joke with the money that team has to spend on players.
Embarrassing.
Stop it, this has been happening for 3 weeks.
First
Dang, third.
If happens should be pretty big trade. Nutting loves Bednar.
Narbed
And I bet Bednar loves nutting…
He might
nutting is involved in a lot of charities locally and Bednar always volunteers to help
Not as much as he loves saving money.
Doubt he saves $. Will he spend Hayes Bednar salary elsewhere or wll payroll be 16m lower next year? I figure it will be around what it is now.
$69 million in profit last year and an additional $16 million next? Nutting loves those numbers!
you obviously don’t understand the relationship between Nutting’s charitable work and Bednar volunteering his time
Then Nutjob must hate hitting.
I always thought his last name looks like a typo. The D-N looks weird.
Spencer Jones or trade to someone other than the Yankees! He’s been lights out!
Lol you’re not getting spencer jones.
Spencer Jones will be a Pirate. Like it or not.
And Skenes will appreciate the big bat that will help anchor their offense.
OTOH, Bednar will have to learn about handling the pressure of pitching on New York — a very big challenge.
No, even the Pirates don’t need another high-strikeout, overrated Yankees prospect.
is laughing like a girl part of your life, NYC?
Mike, I understand that sentiment, but given Boone’s response to the Yankees starting rotation jam, coupled with Cashman’s known refusal to trade Jones, I’m guessing perhaps Cam Schlittler is one of the main return pieces, if it happens.
Perhaps it doesn’t get done though, because Cashman…..
Bednar is an interesting trade piece to value imo. He doesn’t have the years of control of a duran let alone a Mason miller but he’s not a pure rental either. He’s been one of the better relievers available this deadline but I would not call him elite especially given his relatively recent struggles. All in all i don’t think that adds up to him fetching a high ranked prospect like Jones or lombard but he should command more than a change of scenery reclamation guy like Pereira or just a lottery ticket/mid tier prospect. Maybe a package of the above? Maybe a Heaney or even mitch keller is involved if the bucs want higher end talent or more quantity in the package?
He was bad in 24! Started the season rough but after hitting AAA he has been back to where he was… Look at him since he came back! That is elite. On top of that he’s a local kid which means little to me but means something to our terrible owner!
Not elite? Please share whatever you’re smoking. He’s one of the best 5 closers in all of baseball
He is a very good pitcher and has performed at a high level this year since a aaa reset but was bad all year in 2024 and has one year of control beyond this one. He does not have the years of control of Mason miller or even jhoan duran and does not have the recent track record of consistent above average to dominant performace of duran nor the sheer tools and stuff of either guy. My point is that he sits a value tier below the closers who have actually fetched top ranked prospects this deadline not that he shouldnt fetch a decent return.
And Spencer Jones has a 36% k rate in AAA. I’d say he’s way more proven! You have another year of control! I’d say this trade would be win-win! Rangers just moved Heuer. We shall see but it’s being reported that a ton of interest for Bednar which should make for a good return
“He was so bad in ’24 that I’m going to conveniently ignore that he was ELITE all through ’21-’23 as well as ’25″…..His ERA is a full run better than both Miller’s and Duran’s this year, and he’s the only closer that hasn’t blown a save all year. Not elite? That’s an idiotic take
those struggles ended with a trip to Indy to work on his control.
He’s 17 for 17 in save opportunities since with 51 strikeouts in 43 innings
Why do you want him so bad then lol? Jones has risk in his profile but a truly elite ceiling. That kind of power potential with his other non bat tools doesn’t exactly grow on trees. Reliever performance is notoriously volatile as demonstrated by bednars last couple years so relievers can only be considered “proven” to a point. And there is an inherent limitation to the value even the best relievers can add compared to starting pitchers and position players. That all factors in here.
The same reason you want Bednar but still point out 24! Obviously the Pirates need to add to their lineup.
No the idiotic take here is you confusing my opinion that his overall profile does not suggest a valuation fully comparable to closers who have actually fetched top ranked elite prospects this deadline with saying he isn’t an excellent pitcher, and a valuable asset. Just not on the same level as duran or Miller for trade valuation purposes. And an entire ghastly season just last year is relevant to his projectability whether you want to believe it or not.
I hope for Spencer’s sake he doesn’t end up a pirate given their org’s unseemly outcomes developing bats over the past few years lol.
Ok good day!
Hatless,
I think youre wasting your breath on them. Theyre gonna act like a RP with 1.5 years of control is worth a kings ransom. Bednar would fetch a Helsley esque return but they just saw Preller blow his wad over Mason Miller so Yanks must cough up their best prospects (who they weirdly also believe are complete trash busts)
You literally said he’s not elite when in fact he is, the only advantage that Miller and Duran have is years of control, that’s it. To say he’s not elite, which you clearly did, is idiotic
Reading comprehension would be useful, you should try it, I never commented on a return for Bednar, all I said was he is in fact an elite reliever, one of the 5 best closers in all of baseball
Dude you’re getting way too fixated on this elite label. If you had better reading comprehension skills you might have understood that I was discussing that in the context of assessing his trade value instead of missing the forest for the trees. You’re free to disagree but given the generally volatile nature of reliever performance I personally would not consider a reliever who was a drastically below replacement level performer the entire preceding season to be an elite player. Saying that isn’t a general slight on bednar’s talent or value both of which are considerable, just not in the very tip-top of the league at his position imo. Chill out and get off your high horse.
The Pirates are loaded at Pitching and want MLB ready players or prospects for next season! This isn’t a rebuild. The Pitching is deep!
If it’s not Spencer I hope the Pirates move on with the Blue Jays or Rangers! Bednar isn’t going anywhere without a bat coming back and if I’m wrong so be it.
The blue jays don’t really have an mlb ready bat with jones’ ceiling that I cam think of. They have a plethora of at least moderately interesting pre-arb guys but I don’t see them moving Addison Barger with how he’s playing and his positional versatility. Idk if ernie clement or like Davis Schneider floats your boat tho. Similarly idk who on the rangers you’d think of as a good headliner who’s plausibly available. Walcott isn’t moving imo and I doubt the rangers want to deal langford or Carter. Beyond that unless I’m forgetting someone it gets risky and/or mid pretty quick iirc unless you burn with desire for adding josh smith.
Then Pirates keep Bednar and Santana! Spend money from Hayes on a bat next offseason via trade. Then our usual 1 year hope to hit something.
What bat are you getting with the savings from Hayes next year?
Well obviously it would be by trade for a young player . Similar to getting Horowitz this season. We don’t have the owner to play in free agency.
I read that a deal was close this weekend until the Yankees would’nt give Cherington the players he wanted
Anther Hayes.
is it next season yet?
Morosi reporting Rangers and they just moved Heuer! Said Pham could be involved
Yes, another response that again makes me root for the Blue Jays
But probably accurate.
bednar closer over devin?
Yes X 1,000,000!
I have both Bednar and Williams on one fantasy team, can we not lol.
Seriously though as a NYY fan, id be good with this depending on what we give away.
gotta get yourself to a Holds league
In it, still prefer closers.
Spencer Jones or bust!!
Jones is a bust. 4A ceiling.
Somebody go Narcan Jed Hoyer, he’s missing the trade deadline…
He got Kittredge last night
Not enough, need a bench bat and a starter. Kittredge was a good move though.
3 hours still to go and they may get the bench bat. Soroka probably winds up as the main starter acquisition
Then that won’t be enough. Would not mind trading for a starter with years of control instead of a rental.
Spencer Jones will not be the headliner he strikes out way to much.
It’s either him or Lombard Jr. and I don’t see that happening.
Lerange Everson and Jones. Jones is Adam Dunn Kyle Schwaber at best
Yeah but we don’t need pitchers. That won’t stop Cherington from dealing a reliever for a pitching prospect, but I hope he proves me wrong and gets a bat.
No, Jones is Joey Gallo minus the glove.
LMAO “at best” Dunn had over 450 HRs. Any team would be thrilled to get that kind of career out of a late first round pick
Calling a player Schwarber is a compliment. As is Adam Dunn at that. Not too many guys hit 462 homeruns in the big leagues. Doesn’t matter if he Ks if he hits this many. home runs.
I’m not a Jones fan, but just about anyone would take that production lol.
If he gets pitching he can still trade that in the winter for hitting prospects. Eventually the orioles and Boston will trade position players for pitching
Way too much unless Keller coming too
Heaney maybe? No way Keller AND Bednar for Jones. The market for closers is way to high to not include Jones.
Not based on what other closers have gotten. Yankees always overrating prospects.
So the Yankees are telling BA, FG, etc to rate their prospects highly?
Then who?? A bag of balls? Not many other mlb ready prospects in their system and can’t imagine Yanks are giving up Dominguez.
They have two catchers at AAA. Both advanced bats but questionable at defense (similar to Agustin Ramirez). They also have an entire rotation of good-to-very-good SP prospects in AA. LOL that PIT needs to acquire guys ready to contribute right away. They can wait another year for any contribution
They need to do something
Bednar for jaason dominguez please
Pirates will probably get a class-A middle infielder who can’t hit his weight. And cash!!!!
U know they love that cash
Lazy, uneducated, boring comment tbh.
Not really. I’m a Pirate fan and it’s spot on. I’ve watched the Gerrit Cole trade, glasnow trade, Joe Musgrove trade. Owner isn’t trying to build a team or contend, he’s there just to get as much money as he can without spending
The Glasnow trade is crazy overrated. Yeah, Archer stunk, but What’d Meadows and Glas amount to? They got 5 years and 388 innings out of Glasnow, thats 77.6 innings a year. Not many teams are happy about a starter w/that little innings. Meadows amounted to one good AS year Now that one year was really good, but it amounted to not much team success. Baz is like Glasnow, talented yet hurt 24/7.
Cole trade was awful. There’s no denying it. But do all GMs hit on every trade? It wasn’t even the current GM who made any of the trades you are complaining about. That’s not me saying BC is any good, but we’re still harping on NH moves?
Musgrove got them Bednar… Who we all know what success that was. On top of Endy Rodriguez who while I’m out on a lot of people still like him. Musgrove has been good, but does he really make the last 5 years a team that can contend? No. We both know that.
I’m a Pirates fan and it’s a lazy comment. Every business owner is trying to get as much money as they can. Like it or not this is a business, not an XBOX franchise. I’m not saying Nutting is a good owner, but he sure is one helluva business man.
Disagree. He’s a god awful owner and he didn’t trade Keller to save face. Record setting deal and then trade it a year in? He got too much heat from the fans. You’re not a Pirates fan or you would see this. We are literally the yanks, Astros and Cubs farm system. It’s not a GM thing, it’s a Pirate thing. Dates way back. like Aramis Ramirez we get to watch Ke’Bryan Hayes go off now. It’s going to happen. They don’t develop players. You can’t miss on every prospect like they do, it impossible. (Skenes was already this good)
He didn’t trade Keller because there’s no need. He’s going to get more for him in the off-season to begin with, I am a Pirates fan, I’m just smarter than going with the typical cheap owner rhetoric. If he did trade Keller, you’d probably complain about the return! You people always do. In the last 5 season the Pirates have made exactly 8 players to the Cubs, Astros, or Yankees, not including Bednar, they are
Shendrick Apostel
Clay Holmes
Cash Considerations
Cash Considerations
International bonus pool space
JT Brubaker
Gilberto Celestino
and a PTBNL.
Heck of a farm system we got for them huh!?!?
Once again a LAZY comment with no backing to it whatsoever. KeBryan Hayes isn’t going to go off the guy can barely swing a bat. He may get a slight uptick because GABP is a bandbox otherwise the dudes what he is a glove first no bat 3B. Useless.
Not developing player is a WHOLE different issue than you always claiming trades are bad for no reason. I mean still crying about the ’03 Ramirez move is a joke tbh. It has absolutely zero implications on today’s team outside of the idiot fans who love to complain.
I shouldn’t of said 8 players 8 transactions is more like it.
The “cheap owner” is sugar coating what he is. He literally sold bricks to the fans and then threw them all in a dumpster! It’s pitiful ripping off fans. Ke’Bryan’s Defense alone paid his $8 million salary l. The guy literally has save the most runs in MLB from ANY position. Pirates been rebuilding for 40 years! Even in the wildcard years, they didn’t have a chance and wouldn’t add payroll at the deadline.
You think decorative bricks were going to last forever? I mean my god crying about a brick is absolutely insane. $8M on defense? He was great but there’s not an $8M defensive player in the WORLD. Top in the league? Funny that 4 players have a better DRS so that says otherwise…
Lol cry about it. Stop going to games. Pick a new team. You literally haven’t had anything to back up except talking points.. ‘Farm team’ debunked. ‘Bad at trading’ debunked.
Just the way the owner treats fans, hottakes
The bricks were supposed to be lifetime, no matter the reality. The bobble heads. The Clemente sign. Here’s a guy that does business in a taxpayer funded palace and feels no civic obligation to invest in team, but he did invest in developing areas around PNC to bring more fans and money in
It’s all about diversions. Come see our park, our fireworks, our food areas, our pierogi races and hot dog launches. Winning baseball? Let’s talk about Bring Your Dog to PNC Night instead. And exit velocities. It’s all about exit velocities
Get over it? If you tried to destroy a franchise, you couldn’t do a better job
As for Hayes, glad to see him go
In fact, from front office on down it’s time to burn it all down and start over. Again.
Well said.
Yankees clearly have the overhyped,undertalented type of prospects the Pirates covet so,yes, a deal is possible.
The asking price for Bednar is one top prospect and 2 major league ready position players
This isn’t the same administration who traded Pirates top prospects in return for bums
Ur “hot takes” don’t even make sense and they’re boring, anyone can google bro. You really don’t have a clue. The “cheap owner” is sugar coating what he is. He literally sold bricks to the fans and then threw them all in a dumpster! It’s pitiful ripping off fans. Ke’Bryan’s Defense alone paid his $8 million salary l. The guy literally has save the most runs in MLB from ANY position.
But do they have the prospects with great ability, who’ll come to the Pirates farm system, fester, and never be heard from again?
Spencer Jones isn’t enough for Bednar.
Yankees should have gone all in for Miller
How are you actually coming to this conclusion? Bednar, for as good as he has been, is still just a RP worth 1 WAR. You dont move a just about MLB ready top prospect like Jones for a RP who struggled last year majorly and only has 1.5 years of control. There should be some sort of requirement before youre allowed to comment on here lol your take belongs on a Yahoo sports comment section
Begamin it’s nice to see another person of sense commenting on this thread lol.
Wouldn’t know Spencer Jones if he bumped into me in the street but I do know Bednar is likely the Pirates most valuable piece for a contending club. No, they shouldn’t get a huge haul but conversely, why do so many fans believe the Pirates should just give players away?
Literally not saying that. And they got at least one solid prospect in Flores per the recent update. Pitt fans have been overvaluing bednar if they actually thought he was gonna get a top ranked prospect from any team. Him being the most valuable trade chip on the pirates says more about the pirates’ roster than it does bednar’s market value irl.
Pete, I disagree somewhat. On one hand you’re right about the roster. No argument, although Skenes and Keller may present an argument
But again, any team in contention that needs a closer right now would do well to get him. And to do so, pay a price. Closers aren’t essential?
Tbc i meant that bednar was the best chip the bucs were actually showing a willingness to deal rn. Closers are valuable but bednar just didn’t have the valuation package to get a top ranked prospect. And relievers by their nature just don’t have the potential to add overall value to a team comparable to an above average starting pitcher or position player. The pirates got a good but not top prospect from the yanks and a couple lottery tickets/org depth guys, which is a reasonable price for a reliever with his track record and remaining control imo. Clearly no competing team was offering a prospect the pirates liked better than flores.
So what do you think about this trade?
I like it on the whole. As I said in my prior comment I think it was a fair price. And despite what certain rabid pirates stans are saying to me in other threads rn, I think bednar is a quality addition to my yanks. Hopefully he will handle the change of scenery well.
I’m sure he will. Again, he’s a bulldog. No doubt he’ll flourish there
Thanks I hope you’re right!
Yes….the Tigers have already signed three underwhelming relievers.
Paging Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins, the trade deadline is in four hours. You need Bednar.
I like what I see from Schittler. Put him in the ninth inning and let him blow people away
Who does the Padres have that the Pirates want
If they aren’t going to offer a top prospect, your team won’t get him
Whatever pitchers Pirates deal, squeeze for offense be it Bednar or Keller (despite the latter may be kept even though he shouldn’t be if 2 good bats are offered in limited SP market).
Keep on buying and buying and buying you desperate pigs you only won the AL by default last year but enjoy year 16 in a row of no titles.
LMAO keep thinking the owner of the team you love is too poor to spend money
You need a hug.
Devin Williams can’t close anymore and Mason Miller is off the board.
My guess is NYY offering Flores and Riggio.
Boonedoggle will burn him up in about three weeks, maybe a month.
IMO: Jones’s stock has risen and probably out of reach for a reliever he still is my primary target and really the only one I’ve looked at more than on ‘paper’
Dominguez too but i doubt that is a realistic option.
Cunningham, Flores, Pereira also caught my interest on paper.
Wondering: with the Mariners clearly in the market for a late-inning reliever, why aren’t they in on Bednar?
Cashman will come empty, the best are gone
Yankee fans want Cashman to make all these moves but only want to give up their garbage.
It’s a sellers market, you want something good it needs to hurt some
According to ESPN, Bednar is headed to New York pending a physical.
We need a Majors ready Hitter who can jolt this offense!
Done Pending Physical, I hope Cashman isnt done now
I hope he fails. This trade sucks for the Pirates.
The pirates are like a 2nd Triple A affiliate to the Yankees.
Tallion
Gerrit Cole
AJ Burnett
Bednar
There’s probably more.
I know not all of them were acquired via trades
I mean Cole went to another team before the Yankee and Burnett went to the Pirates after his stint with the Yankees. A better example would be Xavier Nady or Clay Holmes
That’s why I’m also said I know not all of them were acquired via trades
Yeah I get you but AJ Burnett is an example of the opposite lol Pirates taking from the Yankees