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Yankees outlast Rays in extra innings (0:59)
Ryan McMahon walks it off in the 11th inning as the Yankees come out on top in a back-and-forth game with the Rays. (0:59)
ESPN
Jul 31, 2025, 02:52 PM ET
The New York Yankees are finalizing a trade to acquire closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Thursday.
The deal is pending a medical review, sources said.
Among those going to the Pirates, sources told ESPN, is catcher Rafael Flores, who tore up Double-A, is now at Triple-A, is a top-shelf framer and regarded as a big-league-ready catcher. Pittsburgh also gets 19-year-old Edgleen Perez, who makes excellent swing decisions and was rated as the Yankees' 10th-best prospect by ESPN.
The 30-year-old Bednar brings high-end performance without the price tag of his back end-of-the-bullpen peers, as he is making $5.9 million this season and is arbitration-eligible before hitting free agency after the 2026 season.
His swing-and-miss stuff has been elite since his return from Triple-A in mid-April, which more than salvaged his trade value: Over his last 24 outings through Wednesday, Bednar struck out 29 and walked only five while giving up just one earned run.
For the season, the right-handed Bednar has 17 saves with a 2.37 ERA and 51 strikeouts, compared to just 10 walks. He currently has posted career bests in strikeout and walk rate.
He has rebounded from an atrocious 2024, when he posted a 5.77 ERA while going 3-8 with 23 saves (and seven blown saved), to recapture his form of 2021-23, when he was among the five best relievers in baseball. His arsenal features a high-90s fastball, a hard-breaking curveball and a mean splitter.
ESPN's Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
