Red Sox Trade Idea Lands Pirates 2-Time All-Star After Sudden Demotion

If this righty is for sale, should Boston bite?

Sep 8, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Pittsburgh Pirates hat and glove before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's bullpen has been surprisingly good so far in 2025, but that doesn't mean it will hold up all season.

If fans had one worry about this Red Sox team by the end of spring training, it was the bullpen. There isn't as much depth as some might like, especially with Liam Hendriks on the injured list, and there's reason to be skeptical about Aroldis Chapman's ability to solidify the closer role.

One might think it would cost an arm and a leg at this point in the season to trade for another team's closer who was previously a two-time All-Star. But baseball doesn't work in absolutes, and there's a pitcher who matches that description who might currently be available for dirt cheap.

Pittsburgh Pirates righty David Bednar made the National League All-Star team in both 2022 and 2023, posting a 2.27 ERA and 58 saves combined. But he struggled for most of the 2024 season, losing the closer role to Chapman for a while, and he was so bad to begin the 2025 season that he's now been demoted to Triple-A.

On Wednesday, Zach Pressnell of FanSided proposed Bednar as a possible low-cost trade acquisition for the Red Sox to add some depth to their bullpen, and perhaps even another closer option if the righty ever regains his form.

"The Red Sox have next to zero options at closer this season. They could be in the market to take a chance on just about any closer who becomes available on the market in the near future, and this now includes Bednar," Pressnell wrote.

"While the righty doesn't have the same trade value that he would have two years ago, the Red Sox may be willing to part ways with a small return in order to land the struggling righty."

It's an interesting thought exercise, because how should a team handle a case like Bednar's? The 30-year-old is making $5.9 million in arbitration this season and is under control for 2026 as well, but who's to say the Red Sox, or any team, will want him to be a key part of their bullpen by then?

Given the way the bullpen has performed so far, it feels doubtful that the Red Sox would want to thrust someone they know is struggling into the mix, even if he started in Triple-A. But crazier moves have certainly been made before.

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