Yankees Nearly Made Trade for Pirates Closer

The New York Yankees went trade deadline shopping with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but were unable to pay the price for what they liked.

According to MLB analyst Francys Romero, the Yankees were in talks to secure Pirates reliever David Bednar, but the teams weren't able to reach a deal. Pittsburgh's asking price for Bednar is apparently sky-high, with Romero reporting that the team was looking for three players in return for the closer.

The Yankees and Pirates were in talks about David Bednar this past weekend, but no deal was reached, according to sources.

Pittsburgh was asking to be seeking a three-player return for the reliever.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) July 31, 2025

Bednar's ERA sits at 2.37 this season, with 38 innings pitched through 42 games and a 1.11 WHIP. This is a drastic improvement from 2024, where his final ERA was 5.77, leading many Pirates fans to call for the team to deal him away. Those fans are certainly silent now; Bednar threw just one run (none earned) in June and one earned run in July.

According to reports by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Noah Hiles, the Pirates' asking price for Bednar has been rising with his performance, especially after he spent a stint in the minors earlier this season. Hiles also reported that Pittsburgh kept Bednar in a previous season because of his hometown connection to the city (Bednar grew up in Mars, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh.)

The news comes after the Yankees nearly lost a close game against the Tampa Bay Rays, with reliever Devin Williams blowing a save in the ninth inning. New York came back to win the game in the 11th, but the shaky pitching put the Yankees' relief issues front in center.

It's not impossible that the Yankees are able to make the Pirates an offer they can't refuse and get Bednar in Pinstripes before the trade deadline ends at 6 p.m. today. Fellow Pirates reliever (and former Yankee) Dennis Santana has also been excelling lately, and rumors have been swirling that the Pinstripes may be interested in a deal to bring him back to New York.

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