Pirates Re-Sign Closer David Bender
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates brought back one of their veterans in the bullpen for the 2025 season.
Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported that the Pirates and closer David Bednar agreed to a $5.9 million deal, avoiding arbitration.
Pirates and David Bednar agree to a $5.9 million deal to avoid arbitration, per source. @AndrewDestin1 first
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) January 9, 2025
Bednar struggled last season for the Pirates, with a 3-8 record, a 5.77 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched in 62 games, 23 saves and seven blown saves in 30 opportunities.
He started off the season poorly, blowing three saves in his first four save opportunites, but managed to get things back on track, and avoiding a blown save from April 12-Aug. 3.
Bednar struggled again in August, as the Pirates went 8-19 in the month after spending time competing for a National League wild card spot.
He blew saves in back-to-back games against the San Diego Padres at home on Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 and lost games with the score tied against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 11 and the Texas Rangers on Aug. 21, both on the road,
Pirates manager Derek Shelton removed Bednar as the primary closer on Aug. 30, going by committee the rest of the season.
Bednar starred for the Pirates the previous two seasons, earning himself back-to-back All-Star appearances. He led the National League with 39 saves in 42 opportunites in 2023 with a 2.00 ERA in 67.1 innings pitched, and had 19 saves in 23 opportunites in 2022, with a 2.61 ERA in 51.2 innings pitched.
Pittsburgh landed Bednar in a three-team trade back on Jan. 19, 2021. They traded starting pitcher Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres for left-handed pitcher Omar Cruz, right-handed pitcher Drake Fellows and outfielder Hudson Head and got catcher Endy Rodriguez from the New York Mets.
Bednar hails from the Pittsburgh area, playing for Mars High School in Mars, Pa. and then pitched for Lafayette. The Padres selected him in the 35th round, the 1,044 overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft.
He pitched in the Padres minor league system for three years before earning a call-up to the Padres on Sept. 1, 2019. He also pitched for the Padres in the 2020 season with a 7.11 ERA and five strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
Bednar is one of a few players the Pirates have signed and avoided arbitration with, including left-handed starting pitcher Bailey Falter and catcher Joey Bart.
