An early season potential Braves trade target emerges

A couple of years ago, the Pirates could have gotten a king’s ransom for David Bednar in a trade. From 2021-2023, he pitched in 172 games with a 2.25 ERA, 2.56 FIP, and 191 ERA+ (91% above league average), leading the league in saves in 2023 with 39.

For a team like the Pirates, who haven’t been anywhere close to competitive since Bednar made his debut for the team, hanging onto a reliever like that is beyond foolish, and the last two seasons are exactly why.

In 2024, David Bednar posted a 5.77 ERA as the Pirates closer. His strikeout to walk rate plummeted, leading to an ERA+ of 73 (27% below league average). He was the worst closer in baseball, and his struggles continued to begin this season, recording a remarkable 27.00 ERA over his three appearances, leading to Pittsburgh’s decision to option him to AAA.

The Pirates are hoping the time on the farm will give David Bednar an opportunity to regroup and find himself again, like we saw with A.J. Minter not too long go. But at 2-5 on the season with a roster barren of talent, even if Bednar returns to form, his impact won’t be great enough to help the Pirates to any sort of postseason push. Pittsburgh is still several years away from seriously competing, and that might be generous considering their non-existent spending habits.

If I’m the Braves, I’m picking up the phone on a weekly basis to check on the status of David Bednar. Most of the time, it might go straight to voicemail, but eventually, it’s something the Pirates might consider over the next month or two. He’s still got a high-powered arm with some nasty stuff, and perhaps a change of scenery could do him wonders.