Perrotto: What Could Pirates Get in Trade for David Bednar?
David Bendar is a folk hero for Pittsburgh Pirates fans.
The right-handed reliever is a local guy who graduated from Mars High School. There may not be a more provincial region than Western Pennsylvania, and I have never met anyone who leans into being from the Pittsburgh area as much as Bednar.
Not only is Bednar likeable, but a proven closer, who is not eligible for free agency until the end of next season.
Bednar was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023. Following an up-and-down season last year and an early-season demotion this year, Bednar has converted all 13 save opportunities in 2025 and has a 2.53 ERA in 36 games.
While Bednar would bolster any bullpen, the three teams I keep hearing are most interested in him are the Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs, with the July 31 MLB trade deadline less than two weeks away.
What could the Pirates get for Bednar? It’s a tricky question to answer.
Teams might get into a bidding war for the 30-year-old Bednar, which would up the ante. Yet, executives and scouts I’ve been talking to feel that the Pirates may not get as much for Bednar as some might think, due to what figures to be a glut of relievers on the market.
The Phillies might be willing to part with a pair of outfielders in Johan Rojas and Gabriel Rincones Jr. Rojas is in his third major-league season but is more of a defensive specialist. At the same time, Rincon, ranked as the Phillies’ No. 8 prospect by Baseball America, is hitting just .212/.343/.349 in 78 games for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The Tigers might part with shortstop Trey Sweeney, who made his major league debut last season. However, he has hit .216/.277/.333 in 105 big-league games.
The Cubs could offer second baseman/third baseman/outfielder James Triantos, a 22-year-old who played in the All-Star Futures Game last year but is hitting .257/.305/.348 in 48 games since being promoted to Triple-A Iowa earlier this season. Triantos is the Cubs’ No. 7 prospect.
However, the Pirates could acquire more impactful hitters if they are willing to include Bednar in a package deal.
The Phillies are also interested in reliever Dennis Santana. Bednar, Santana, and a prospect such as Low-A Bradenton right-hander Zander Mueth might land Triple-A outfielder Justin Crawford, the Phillies’ No. 4 and ranked 80th overall by Baseball America.
Crawford is having a much better season at Lehigh Valley than Rincones, with a slash line of .331/.407/.432. He has stolen 29 bases in 73 games.
The Tigers and Cubs have also been inquiring about right-hander Mitch Keller, and his inclusion would significantly sweeten the pot.
Bednar and Keller could land Sweeney, major-league center fielder Parker Meadows, and Double-A Erie catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo from the Tigers. Though Liranzo has a .235/.355/.413 slash line in 58 games, he is rated as the Tigers’ fourth-best prospect and No. 64 overall.
The Cubs have a bountiful farm system and could make an enticing offer for Bednar, Keller, and Santana.
Triantos is one of three Triple-A players the Cubs might part with, along with catcher/first baseman Moises Ballesteros and outfielder Owen Caissie. Baseball America ranks Ballesteros as the 34th-best prospect in baseball, and Caissie is No. 57. The Pirates would be getting a lot back and might have to pay down part of the $56 million left in the final three seasons of his contract from 2026-28.
At Iowa, Ballesteros is hitting .339/.397/.503 in 76 games, and Caissie is slashing .278/.386/.575 with 19 homers in 73 games.
However, the Cubs haven’t been to the postseason since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and are desperate to hold off the hard-charging Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is in the last year of his contract and will likely need to deliver a postseason berth to keep his job.
Thus, it should make for an interesting two weeks for the Pirates.
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