Perrotto: Will David Bednar Still Be a Pirate by the Weekend?

The Pittsburgh Pirates face a difficult decision.

Friday marks the deadline for MLB teams to offer contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man roster. A player who fits this category for the Pirates is David Bednar.

The closer is a fan favorite, a local kid from Mars who has turned into a two-time All-Star with the Pirates. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who has embraced being from Western Pennsylvania more than Bednar.

However, Bednar is eligible for salary arbitration for the second time this winter and is coming off a poor season. MLB Trade Rumors’ Matt Swartz, the preeminent expert on such matters, projects that Bednar’s salary will be $6.6 million next season if he goes through the arbitration process.

The Pirates professed at the end of the season that Bednar was still their closer. Yet, by their frugal standards, paying a relief pitcher with a 5.77 ERA in 2024 and seven blown saves in 30 opportunities would be a lot of money.

Thus, one of four things can happen between now and the deadline for tendering contracts:

The first is for the Pirates to offer Bednar a contract and potentially take their chances in an arbitration hearing against the 30-year-old. Hearings can get testy with teams using negative statistics and comments against the player to help their case.

I’m reminded of the time shortstop Jack Wilson went to arbitration with the Pirates two decades ago and said, “I didn’t realize how terrible I was until I went into that room.” Would the Pirates risk potentially fracturing their relationship with Bednar by going in front of a three-person panel of arbitrators?

Secondly, the Pirates could sign Bednar to a one-year contract. Both sides would avoid the extensive preparation required for a hearing, and reaching an agreement would prevent ill feelings.

The third possibility would be to trade Bednar to a team looking for bullpen help and willing to go to arbitration.

The fourth and final possibility is for the Pirates to nontender Bednar, making him a free agent. That move would potentially be risky because Bednar was a premier reliever during his first three seasons with the Pirates from 2021-23, notching 61 saves in 172 games with a 2.25 ERA and 1.063 WHIP.

Getting rid of Bednar would also enrage many Pirates’ fans and cause owner Bob Nutting’s approval rating to drop even lower with the people who buy tickets for games at PNC Park.

Another tough Pirates’ decision is with right fielder Bryan De La Cruz. He is projected to make $4 million as a first-time arbitration-eligible player.

The Pirates acquired De La Cruz on July 30 in a deadline trade with the Miami Marlins. The idea was that he would provide some much-needed power to the lineup during the Pirates’ quest to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015.

Instead, De La Cruz was a big reason why the Pirates quickly fell out of the pennant race in August with a 10-game losing streak. In 44 games following the trade, he hit .200/.220/.294 with three home runs. De La Cruz struck out 52 times in 168 plate appearances and drew just four walks.

However, De La Cruz hit 18 home runs in 105 games for the Marlins. Is that enough to tempt the Pirates to give the 27-year-old a second chance at a much higher salary after making $768,000 in 2024?

It’s a tough call.

The Pirates have six other arbitration-eligible players: first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe ($3.2 million projected salary), left-hander Bailey Falter ($2.8 million), catcher Joey Bart ($1.8 million), reliever Dennis Santana ($1.8 million), right-hander Johan Oviedo ($1.5 million) and reliever Colin Holderman ($1.4 million).

Joe could be a non-tender candidate after posting a .228/.320/.368 slash line with nine home runs in 123 games this past season.

Yet no decision looms larger for general manager Ben Cherington than the one with Bednar. Stay tuned.