Yankees acquire RP David Bednar from Pittsburgh

The New York Yankees added some much-needed bullpen help when they finally traded for some pitching hours before the trade deadline.

Per Jeff Passan, the Bronx Bombers have acquired Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar for a trio of prospects.

The Pirates will receive No. 8 prospect Rafael Flores, No. 14 prospect Edgleen Perez, and outfielder Brian Sanchez.

In the immediate, though, the Yankees’ bullpen gets some much-needed relief. Bednar has 17 saves with a 2.37 ERA and led the National League with 39 in 2023. He is a two-time All-Star and notched his 100th career save last weekend. In New York, he figures to be a high-leverage arm who will give Luke Weaver and Devin Williams some much-needed support.

And don’t the Yankees need it. The usual ironclad bullpen has been beset by both injuries and bad luck in 2024. New York’s relievers rank 21st in MLB with an ugly 4.24 ERA and are missing two key pieces. Mark Leiter Jr. has strong underlying metrics despite a .411 BABIP, but he’s currently out recovering from a stress fracture in his leg. Fernando Cruz’s splitter was devastating early on, but he’s been on the injured list twice. First for a stiff shoulder, and now he’s out indefinitely with a strained oblique.

Now, add Bednar’s three-pitch mix to the equation. He throws three: a fastball, curveball, and splitter. The fastball leads the way by a wide margin at 47.6%, with the curveball trailing at 35%. The splitter is far from a “Well, let’s try it” pitch.

In other words, this is a signature Brian Cashman deal. A small market team wants to cut salary, Cashman sends over some high-upside prospects. The Yankees’ new acquisition usually flourishes, thrives, while we somehow never hear of the Yankees prospects sent over again.

Add that David Bednar is coming over from the penny-pinching Pittsburgh Pirates, their poor fans, and this is another signature Cashman fleece-job.

Jokes aside, good for the Yankees. They desperately needed bullpen help, and could even still add a starting pitcher. Miami’s Sandy Alcántara and Edward Cabrera remain available.

Stay tuned.