Yankees Finally Get Bullpen Help, Acquire All-Star Reliever

The Yankees finally made their bullpen move.

According to Jeff Passan of The Athletic, New York is acquiring David Bednar from the Pirates, giving manager Aaron Boone the high-leverage arm he’s been missing for most of 2025.

Bednar, 30, isn’t just a rental. He’s making $5.9 million this season and comes with another year of club control in 2026. That extra runway gives the Yankees flexibility, especially with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver both headed toward free agency this winter. Bednar could pitch anywhere from the seventh inning to the ninth—this year and next.

This wasn’t a guaranteed splash.

Bednar opened 2025 with a thud. The Pirates demoted him after a rough spring, and it looked like the former All-Star was losing his grip on the closer role entirely. Since returning, though, he’s been dominant. In 37 innings, Bednar has posted a 1.70 ERA, a 34.5% strikeout rate, and a 5.5% walk rate—numbers that surpass even his 2021–23 prime, when he quietly ranked among baseball’s elite relievers.

The Yankees will pay a premium. Thanks to their place deep in luxury tax territory, the prorated $1.87 million owed to Bednar becomes closer to $3.9 million with the surcharge. But for a bullpen that’s been leaking oil all summer it’s a justifiable price.

Bednar now joins a late-inning mix that includes Williams, Weaver, and potentially a returning Mark Leiter Jr. or Fernando Cruz. With playoff races tightening and bullpen meltdowns becoming too common, the Yankees didn’t just need a reliever—they needed this kind of reliever.

The deal sends a clear message: the Yankees aren’t done yet.