The New York Yankees have strengthened their bullpen by acquiring closers David Bednar and Camilo Doval in separate trades, as well as reliever Jake Bird from the Colorado Rockies.
Bednar, who has 15 saves this season, was obtained just before baseball’s trade deadline from the Giants. The Pittsburgh Pirates will receive minor league prospects Rafael Flores, Edgleen Pérez, and Brian Sanchez in exchange for Bednar.
Yankees fans are excited to see Bednar join the team with a 2.37 ERA and 17 saves in 42 appearances this season. This acquisition is expected to improve the Yankees bullpen, which has struggled with an ERA of 4.89.
Bird, 29, will provide the Yankees with additional relief options. Although he doesn’t have Bednar’s track record, he has posted a career-best 26.3% strikeout rate and a 4.73 ERA in 53 ⅓ innings this season.
Both Bednar and Bird are under team control beyond this season, providing the Yankees with insurance for their top relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver, who will reach free agency next season.
The Yankees have made several additions to their roster recently, including Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, and Austin Slater. The team is looking to add more relief pitchers before the trade deadline on Thursday.
Recent call-ups Flores, Pérez, and Sanchez are also part of the deal. Flores was named minor league player of the year last season, while Pérez and Sanchez are considered big league ready with impressive stats in Low-A games this season.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45870491/sources-yankees-finalizing-trade-pirates-closer-david-bednar