What Could Tigers Trade to Pirates to Acquire Reliever David Bednar?

The Detroit Tigers have some clear needs to address ahead of the MLB trade deadline, with arguably their most pressing being in the bullpen.

It was a unit that was lacking pitchers capable of generating swings and misses at a high rate, but now their production overall has begun to wane.

Tommy Kahnle, who was combining with Will Vest as the late-game duo for manager A.J. Hinch, recently surrendered nine runs in three appearances, recording only three outs total across the outings.

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Adding another late-game option to take pressure off of Kahnle and Vest is a must.

Given their current spot in the standings, atop the American League Central with a healthy cushion over the Cleveland Guardians, the Tigers can afford to be aggressive on the trade market.

They are a near shoo-in for the postseason at this point and their farm system is incredibly deep, offering the opportunity to swing for the fences on a trade and increase their chances of making a postseason run.

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One player they could have their targets set on is David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates, whom David Schoenfield of ESPN has predicted will be traded to the AL Central contenders.

What could a deal between the two teams look like?

Using Baseball Trade Values, Bednar has a surplus value of +6.4. Under team control through 2026, the Pirates aren’t going to give him away for free; they will need to bring back something of value.

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The Tigers could use 17-year-old Cris Rodriguez, who has a surplus value of +4.3, as the centerpiece of a deal.

While a raw prospect, he has the kind of immense potential Pittsburgh should be taking a swing on given the current state of their roster, specifically their lineup.

If Rodriguez gets close to his potential, he and Konnor Griffin could be a dynamic duo for the Pirates to build around down the road.

Including another prospect, such as catcher Eliezer Alfonzo who has a surplus value of +1.1, could help push the deal over the finish line.

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Trading away a player such as Rodriguez would be a tough pill for any organization to swallow after signing him to a $3.2 million signing bonus.

But, Detroit has a legitimate opportunity to contend for a World Series this year and acquiring Bednar would help improve those odds.

Their farm system is so deep, trading away a potentially high-reward prospect such as Rodriguez wouldn’t even dent their ranking too much.

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