With the trade deadline quickly approaching on August 2 at 6 PM, the New York Yankees are expected to be active in the hunt for more pitching support. This season, they’ve had a few positions that have presented liabilities, notably the outfield and the bullpen, with injuries arising.
Both Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo have struggled to get going this year, but both players have performed much better to start the month of June, indicating they might be hitting a turning point. Gallo has performed valiantly over the past seven games, hitting .250 with a 30.8% on-base rate, three homers, and six RBIs. On the other hand, Hicks is hitting .344 with one homer, four RBIs, and a 44.7% on-base rate. If they can begin to produce consistently, general manager Brian Cashman won’t have to supplement them at the deadline.
However, with Jonathan Loáisiga suffering a shoulder injury, Aroldis Chapman dealing with Achilles tendinitis, and Chad Green undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Yankees have to look for bullpen support.
Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Yankees will be active in the veteran bullpen market:
The Yankees are planning to look for bullpen help. They will be far from alone. Top relievers who could be available include David Bednar, Michael Fulmer, and former Yankees Mark Melancon, Ian Kennedy and David Robertson. … The Yankees told Miguel Andjuar that though they’ve tried to trade him. the offers haven’t been good enough.
One bullpen arm the Yankees could take a swing at:
One name that stands out is David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 27-year-old is having a stellar 2022 campaign, logging a 1.33 ERA over 27 innings. He’s recording 12.33 strikeouts per nine, 0.67 home runs per nine, and an 87.9% left on base rate.
Bednar hosts a variety of pitches, including a fastball, curveball, and split-fingered fastball. His velocity hovers in the 96.6 mph range regarding his fastball, which is a healthy number the Yankees will be attracted to. The question is, what would it cost Cashman to acquire Bednar from the Pirates?
With team control until the 2027 season, Bednar has an extraordinary value at this point in time. It would take a hefty package of minor leaguers for the Yankees to acquire him. We are talking about one of their exciting young prospects and a few middling options. Bednar will likely be out of their price range, so they might look for a player that doesn’t have as much team control and won’t cost them an arm and a leg.