Aaron Boone walks to the mound during a game against the Diamondbacks.
The New York Yankees are without their top bullpen arm, right-hander Luke Weaver. The 1.05 ERA hurler is on the 15-day injured list with a hamstring strain.
Last month, Weaver took over the closer’s role for the struggling Devin Williams, who has performed better on the mound as of late.
The Yankees have received standout performances from other relief pitchers like Yerry De Los Santos and the always reliable Tim Hill, but what happens if Weaver’s injury worsens? Who would Yankees manager Aaron Boone call upon to be his setup man or closer?
Pirates’ Two-Time All-Star Could Be a Potential Fit
The majority of the trade discussions surrounding the Pittsburgh Pirates this summer will be about starting pitcher Paul Skenes. Still, several reports suggest he will not be switching teams anytime soon.
Instead of Skenes, the New York Yankees could turn their attention to the Pirates’ arms in the bullpen, including right-hander David Bednar. Tuesday, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand wrote that Bednar’s trade stock has risen in the last month, even though he was demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis earlier this season.
“Bednar struggled so much to start the season that the Pirates demoted him to Triple-A on April 1, but the reliever has been formidable since returning to the Majors on April 19,” Feinsand wrote.
“In 22 outings since then, Bednar had a 2.61 ERA with seven saves, striking out 30 batters in 20 2/3 innings to regain the closer role. Pittsburgh faces a double-digit deficit in both the NL Central and Wild Card races, and with Bednar earning $5.9 million this season with one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining, the time is right for the Pirates to trade him.
Bednar, 30, led the National League with 39 saves in 2023 and has nine saves in 26 games this season with the Pirates.
Who Might the Yankees Trade in Return?
Given that Bednar is not a free agent until after the 2026 season, the Pittsburgh Pirates may seek a higher-ranked prospect. However, the New York Yankees are likely aware of his struggles and demotion to Triple-A at the start of the year, so sending a player who’s already reached stardom at Double-A Somerset or is on the cusp of an MLB promotion at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre would be an overpay.
Newsweek’s Jon Vankin sees one of the Yankees’ top catching prospects as a potential player involved in a trade for Bednar.
“The Yankees’ No. 15 prospect, catcher and first baseman Rafael Flores, could headline a package to obtain Bednar,” wrote Vankin. “MLB Pipeline estimates Flores, now playing for the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, will be ready for the big leagues next season.”
Austin Wells is the Yankees’ starting catcher for the foreseeable future, and Boone has openly praised backup catcher J.C. Escarra for his defensive abilities, so Flore’s route to the Major Leagues is blurry, as of today. Like Vankin suggested, the Yankees might be better off offloading the youngster to obtain pitching depth at the MLB level.
Williams, who the Yankees acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers before the start of the 2025 season, is a free agent at season’s end, so the Yankees adding Bednar to the mix, who has another year of team control next year, could be extra insurance in case Williams, a two-time All-Star, departs in free agency.
