The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen struggles this season have been well documented.
On Friday night, the Phillies defeated the New York Mets 10-2 to regain sole possession of first place in the National League East. But even in the win, the Phillies cost Zach Wheeler a win when Taijuan Walker let up a pair of back-to-back home runs.
Right now, the Phillies don’t have a clear-cut closer. Some are probably available at the trade deadline, but whether they find a new closer or merely a setup man, Philadelphia undoubtedly needs a new high-leverage reliever.
Kenneth Teape of Phillies on SI has a proposed solution: trading for in-state rival David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On Friday, Teape wrote a piece explaining why he believes Bednar is an ideal target for this Phillies squad.
“The perfect trade partner for the Phillies to fill the bullpen void is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have multiple relief pitchers that should be available at the right price,” Teape wrote. “If Philadelphia wants to go all-in, David Bednar is their guy.
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“He has regained his form in 2025 after a brutal 2024, when he was removed from the closer’s role. Through (29) appearances, he has a (3.16) ERA with (36) strikeouts through (25 2/3) innings and has converted all 10 of his save chances.”
Bednar is a two-time All-Star, but he’s also dealt with some bumps in the road. He was demoted to Triple-A earlier this year after only three outings, but since returning in mid-April, he’s got a 2.19 ERA and microscopic 1.49 FIP.
Because Bednar comes with control through the 2026 season, it might be a bit pricy to land him in terms of prospect talent. But the Phillies, who are fully in win-now mode, do have a relatively deep farm system.
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