David Bednar’s Trade and the Pirates’ Decision-Making

David Bednar was among several closers discussed at the trade deadline and ultimately moved to the Phillies, while fellow pitchers Mason Miller and Joan Duran went to the Padres from the Athletics. These are names that might catch attention on the league-wide rankings.

Pirates general manager Ben Charrington mentioned he had a chance to acquire a comparable prospect for Bednar. However, he wasn’t impressed with the Yankees’ offer, which included catcher Rafael Flores (ranked 8th), catcher/first baseman Ed Glene Perez (14th), and the unranked outfielder Brian Sanchez.

None of these players made it to the top 100 in the consensus rankings.

“We had access to players ranked in the way you describe them,” Charrington told reporters post-deadline. “We liked this package. Different teams evaluate players in various ways, and sometimes public rankings don’t align with our assessments.”

This situation might leave fans a bit baffled. Charrington is under scrutiny as he enters his sixth season as GM, especially when striving to produce wins for standout pitcher Paul Skenneth.

The Pirates are experiencing a rough season, currently holding the last position in the NL Central with a record of 47-62 after two consecutive seasons of 76-86.

Prospect rankings aren’t everything, yet beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder—particularly in baseball.

However, the Yankees’ minor leaguers involved in the trade for Bednar weren’t close to breaking into the top 100.

It remains unclear which teams might have offered more appealing prospects for Bednar, particularly those under team control until 2026.

Chances seem slim that the Yankees would part with top 100-quality prospects like triple-A outfielder Spencer Jones, double-A infielder George Lombard Jr., or double-A pitcher Carlos Lagrange.

Interestingly, the Phillies were in the mix for Bednar and might have been willing to part with genuine top-tier prospects. Still, they instead sent catcher Eduardo Tate (ranked 56th) and pitcher Mick Abel to Minnesota, providing only two and a half years of team control.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made a splash by acquiring Camilo Doval and Rockies pitcher Jake Bird to strengthen their bullpen.

Bednar has shown remarkable performance this season after a shaky start and a stint in the minors, boasting a 2.37 ERA (1.74 since May 1) with 51 strikeouts over 38 innings.