There's nothing scarier than bringing a subpar bullpen into the Major League Baseball playoffs.
Bullpen woes cost the Philadelphia Phillies dearly in 2024, but the culprits were relievers that had done well for them all season. This year, the Phillies' bullpen has generally been subpar, which seems like a recipe for disaster in October.
Put plainly, the Phillies need another closer option. Jordan Romano leads the team with eight saves, and his ERA is a gruesome 6.28. José Alvarado, who has seven saves, is suspended for the playoffs. Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and three other pitchers have also recorded saves.
That's where an in-state rival could come in to save the Phillies' bacon.
On Friday, Sports Illustrated's Nick Selbe predicted that the Phillies would acquire two-time All-Star closer David Bednar from the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates at the Jul. 31 trade deadline.
"The Pirates actually demoted Bednar to the minors early this season after three rough outings in which the two-time All-Star retired only three of the nine batters he faced," Selbe wrote. "He returned in mid-April and has been nearly untouchable since, posting a 2.03 ERA and 1.50 FIP over his last 28 appearances to regain closer duties.
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"Bednar is making a reasonable $5.9 million this season and has one year left before reaching free agency, so teams would be getting more than just a rental to fortify the back end of their bullpen."
The 30-year-old Bednar is a Pittsburgh native, but the only thing better than pitching for your hometown team is pitching for a team that actually has a prayer of making a deep postseason run.
The Pirates will trade Bednar if they are smart, and the Phillies would have him under control for the 2026 season as an added bonus.
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