Phillies 'Contacted' Pirates About 2.37 ERA Closer

That may be a bit pricey for Philadelphia, but Bednar could be the missing piece that propels it from a solid playoff team to a legitimate World Series contender.

Bednar, 31 in October, has been one of the better relievers in baseball since 2021 and has continued his success with a 2.37 ERA, a 1.96 FIP, 17 saves, and 51 strikeouts to 10 walks over 38 innings this season.

Bednar is also under team control through 2026 and will not become an unrestricted free agent until after next year. Sacrificing someone like OF Justin Crawford (No. 3) could be stomached more easily given that extra term (this is also assuming top pitching prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel are off the table for someone like Bednar).

The Phillies have had a revolving door of closers, with Jordan Romano (8), José Alvarado (7), and Matt Strahm (6) pacing the way in saves. Orion Kerkering (2), Tanner Banks (1), Taijuan Walker (1), Max Lazar (1), and Alan Rangel (1) have contributed, too.

While this depth could be viewed as a positive, bringing in Bednar would ease some of manager Rob Thomson’s late-game stresses into smooth sailing.

Philadelphia is also still without starting pitcher Aaron Nola. Nola should be back in the coming weeks, but another high-leverage reliever could lessen the staff’s workload, particularly as we approach the final stretch of the regular season.