The New York Yankees, thirsty for bullpen reinforcements, are finalizing trades to acquire closer David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates and reliever Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday.
The Pirates will receive three minor leaguers for Bednar: catching prospects Rafael Flores and Edgleen Pérez and center fielder Brian Sanchez in the deal as they seek to replenish their farm system with potential impact bats to supplement the club’s strong organizational pitching depth.
The Yankees will send the Rockies two minor leaguers for Bird: second baseman Roc Biggio and left-hander Ben Shields.
The 30-year-old Bednar was one of the top relievers available before Thursday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline. An All-Star in 2022 and 2023, the Pittsburgh native experienced a dreadful 2024 season, posting a 5.77 ERA in 62 games. He spent nearly three weeks in Triple-A in April before returning to the Pirates having rediscovered his previous form as one of the best bullpen weapons in the majors to resuscitate his trade value for the last-place club.
He joins the Yankees with a 2.37 ERA and 17 saves in 42 appearances this season with career bests in strikeout and walk rates. He has been especially dominant recently, posting a 0.39 ERA with 29 strikeouts and just five walks over his past 24 outings through Wednesday.
PitcherERAAdrian Morejon0.33David Bednar0.40Edwin Díaz0.42Chris Sale0.65Through Wednesday’s games
He should improve a Yankees bullpen that has recorded the fifth-highest ERA (4.89) and seventh-lowest win probability added in the majors since June 1. Brent Headrick (34.4% in 13 games) is the only active Yankees reliever with a strikeout rate higher than Bednar’s 33.1%, though the injured Fernando Cruz‘s 41.2% leads the club.
Bird, 29, does not boast Bednar’s track record, but he has posted a career-best 26.3% strikeout rate with a 4.73 ERA and 3.45 FIP in 53⅓ innings across 45 appearances for the last-place Rockies this season.
Importantly for the Yankees, both Bednar and Bird are under team control beyond this season.
Bird is under team control through 2028 and Bednar, who is making $5.9 million this season, won’t become a free agent until after next season, giving the Yankees back-end reliever insurance going into the winter with Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, their incumbent two top relievers, both slated to reach free agency.
In addition to Bednar and Bird– and any other potential bullpen additions before the deadline — the Yankees expect internal reinforcements over the next few weeks. The Yankees are targeting a late August return date for Cruz, who has been on the injured list since June 30 with an oblique strain, and manager Aaron Boone on Thursday said Mark Leiter Jr. is on track to return from a stress fracture in his left leg next week.
With Bednar and Bird, the Yankees have made five acquisitions over the past week, joining third baseman Ryan McMahon (also from the Rockies), utility man Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater. The team remains interested in adding another reliever and a starter to its staff before the clock strikes 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Flores, 24, signed with the Yankees for $75,000 as an undrafted free agent out of a junior college in 2022. He was named the Yankees’ minor league player of the year last season, impressed team brass during spring training and is considered big league ready. This year, he batted .287 with 15 home runs and an .841 OPS in 87 Double-A games before a recent promotion to Triple-A.
Perez is an 18-year-old Venezuelan slashing .209/.368/.236 with zero home runs in 83 games in Low-A this season. He was the Yankees’ No. 10 prospect in Kiley McDaniel’s latest rankings. The 21-year-old Sanchez is batting .281 with an .811 OPS and 24 steals in 63 games in Low-A this season.
Riggio, 23, is hitting .264 with 18 home runs and a .937 OPS across three levels, most recently in Double-A, this season. Shields, 26, has pitched to a 3.53 ERA in nine starts between four levels this season.
