The Detroit Tigers are tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the best record in the American League entering trade deadline day. They have some holes to fill before the deadline passes.
One area of need for the Tigers is their bullpen. They could use another back-end arm.
There are still plenty of solid arms available with hours remaining before the deadline. The Tigers also have the prospects to pull off such a deal.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Tigers are targeting Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar.
“The Tigers were in talks with the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley before the Mets acquired him,” Morosi reported on X. “Helsley is a pending free agent; Detroit has preferred controllable options, such as Pirates closer David Bednar.”
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The Tigers would be receiving a huge boost if they were to acquire Bednar from the Pirates. The 30-year-old right-hander is 2.5 but has a 2.37 ERA and 17 saves in 42 appearances with Pittsburgh.
Bednar is a two-time All-Star and has been one of the top relievers in the league for several years. He also has two years of team control.
That should drive his price up significantly, but the Tigers fortunately have a very deep farm system and prospects to spare if they make this potential deal.
It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out leading up to the deadline. Time is short, but Detroit is in a good position to make a splash.
Bednar might be their missing piece.
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