How David Bednar Has Turned Around The Yankees' Fate in 2025

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 5:17 PM ET

Brian Cashman made quite a few trades ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, dealing for David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Jose Caballero, Ryan McMahon, Austin Slater, Amed Rosario and Jake Bird.

Those trades have been hit or miss; Jake Bird and Austin Slater have not appeared in a game since August 4. Bird was demoted due to poor performance and has struggled at Triple-A, while Slater has been rehabbing from a hamstring strain for the past month.

However, Cashman's gutsy trade for David Bednar has made an indelible impact on this squad as they round into September in better form. After his save today against the Blue Jays to wrap a series win, Bednar is 5-for-8 in save opportunities with a 2.62 ERA and one hold since being acquired from Pittsburgh.

Teammate Fernando Cruz said that the Yankees are 'blessed to have {Bednar}' while anointing him 'El Oso' meaning the bear in Spanish.

With Bednar stowed at the back of the bullpen, the Yankees can finally say they have a serious, largely reliable closer that can be trusted generally to protect a lead heading into the ninth inning.

Bednar's workload has decreased over time, but he showed who he was in his first few outings with the Yankees, outings in which he rose to the occasion even when needing to throw 42 pitches in one game.

Bednar's consistency and reliability has turned the Yankees' fates around, especially with Doval pitching to a 4.97 ERA since being acquired by the Yankees, and with Devin Williams continuing to struggle.

Unlike Williams, Clay Holmes or Aroldis Chapman, Bednar has several formidable offerings on top of his fastball, including a nasty curveball and splitter combination that has consistently kept hitters off balance.

The Yankees have won 11 of their last 14, including four of their last six against Houston and Toronto as they seek to re-establish themselves as threats in the American League. Bednar, for doing his part, has been right in the heart of it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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