The Pittsburgh Pirates are reportedly listening to trade offers for closer David Bednar. Here are three ideal landing spots for the veteran reliever.
The Pittsburgh Pirates started the year with such promise, sitting near the top of the NL Central standings. That then gave the team incentive to sign manager Derek Shelton and outfielder Bryan Reynolds to contract extensions. The thing is, the Pirates have gone in the opposite direction.
Entering Monday morning, the Pirates are 43-56 on the year and sit in last place in the NL Central division. Yes, even behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who are selling at the deadline. The team is 11.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place and 10.5 games back of the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks for the last two Wild Card spots. So, how they approach the Aug. 1 trade deadline will be interesting.
As it turns out, the Pirates are listening to offers for one of their best players on the roster.
According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Pirates are listening to offers from teams that are interested in closer David Bednar. However, Heyman stresses that a trade would be difficult, as Bednar is under contract until the end of the 2026 season.
On the year, Bednar has a 1.15 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, a 3-1 win-loss record, 19 saves in 20 opportunities, 47 strikeouts, and 9 walks in 39.0 innings (38 games). Given his numbers this year and the fact that he's under contract for the next three seasons, Pittsburgh's asking price will be understandably high.
If the Pirates were to go through with a trade of Bednar, here are three ideal landing spots for him.
3 ideal trade suitors for Pirates closer David Bednar, No. 3: Arizona Diamondbacks
Much like the Pirates, the Arizona Diamondbacks got off to a great start to the 2023 season. Although they no longer have possession of first place in the NL West, the Diamondbacks are still in prime contention for the postseason with the Aug. 1 trade deadline approaching. When it comes to areas of need that they have to address, it has to be the bullpen.
As of this writing, the Diamondbacks relievers have a cumulative 4.40 ERA, which is the seventh-worst in the majors, per FanGraphs. Not to mention that they have recorded 25 saves, tied for 13th fewest across baseball, and doing so in 42 opportunities. Oh, and have the 10th-highest WHIP at 1.33.
If the Diamondbacks want to gain ground on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who sit atop the NL West standings, and the San Francisco Giants, who they are tied with in both the division and Wild Card. The Diamondbacks have the third-ranked farm system by MLB.com entering the season. So, they have the arsenal to make a big move or two at the deadline. How about adding Bednar to be a reliable option in the bullpen?
3 ideal trade suitors for Pirates closer David Bednar, No. 2: Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are another one of the biggest surprises this year. In their first year with Skip Schumaker as manager and Luis Arraez as their new second baseman, the team is 54-47 on the year and in contention for a Wild Card spot in what is a crowded field. Arraez is the best pure hitter in baseball, with Jorge Soler crushing 24 home runs thus far.
Given the team is trending in the right direction, now is the time for them to bring in some reinforcements to ensure they emerge from the crowded Wild Card field with a spot in the playoffs. The Marlins should address their bullpen.
The Marlins' current bullpen owns a 4.08 ERA, ranking in the middle of the pack of the league. But, they have the 12th most saves in the majors with 28, the amount of saves they've blown is staggering. Specifically, 19 blown saves, tied with the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals for the fifth-most in baseball.
Miami could ensure they get the saves they need to close out games by bringing in Bednar.
3 ideal trade suitors for Pirates closer David Bednar, No. 1: Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers are in great shape as we get closer to the trade deadline. The team sits in first place in the AL West division and saw five of their players start in the All-Star Game. But, the team will have to prepare to hold off the Houston Astros, who are not far behind in the standings. With the amount of star power on their team, now's the time for them to make a big splash at the deadline.
Texas will need to once again address their bullpen. Yes, they already made a trade to bring in a reliever, Aroldis Chapman from the Kansas City Royals. For the most part, he has performed well, recording a 0.00 ERA and a 0.43 WHIP in seven appearances. But, the bullpen numbers still aren't great for Texas.
According to FanGraphs, the Texas bullpen holds a 4.74 ERA (fourth-worst in MLB), 17 blown saves (tied for 10th-most), and just 19 saves (fifth-fewest).
Look, the Rangers may have been one of the best-hitting teams in the majors early on this season, but trying to outscore the opposition isn't exactly the perfect strategy, especially with a shaky bullpen. So, they should prioritize bringing in a proven closer to help the team hold onto leads and get some wins to hold off the Astros for the final two months of the season.