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• Pirates' David Bednar: Closer still not named

  13H ago • By RotoWire

  Bednar is presumed to begin the season the Pirates' closer, but manager Derek Shelton elected not to officially name the team's closer Sunday, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. It's the second time during spring training that Shelton has made clear a decision at closer has yet to be made, though the skipper also indicated Sunday that he's happy with how Bednar has look during spring training, despite a 14.40 ERA and 6:3 K:BB over five innings. After two consecutive All-Star seasons in 2022 and 2023, the right-hander struggled to a 5.77 ERA in 62 appearances last year and was removed from the closer role down the stretch.

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• Pirates' David Bednar: Implodes against Twins

  3D ago • By RotoWire

  Bednar allowed five earned runs on three hits and two walks across one-third of an inning during Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins. This marked Bednar's fifth appearance of the spring, and he had maintained a 5:1 K:BB while allowing only one earned run across his first four innings. However, Thursday's outing was particularly concerning in light of Bednar's struggles in 2024, when he posted a 5.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while being removed from the closer role to end the year. The departure of Aroldis Chapman this offseason likely gives Bednar some leeway for save chances to begin the campaign, but he'll need to perform to maintain the role.

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• Pirates' David Bednar: Manager not naming closer yet

  20D ago • By RotoWire

  When asked Tuesday by Foul Territory TV whether Bednar was his closer, Pirates manager Derek Shelton said, "we're not ready to say that." Shelton did add, however, that "we feel very good with the fact that we have a guy who was a two-time All-Star closer." Bednar looks to be the heavy favorite to emerge with the Pirates' closer job coming out of spring training, but Shelton isn't ready to hand him the responsibility yet after the reliever held a 5.77 ERA in 2024 and finished the season in a low-leverage role. If Bednar struggles this spring, guys like Dennis Santana, Colin Holderman and others could enter the saves mix for Pittsburgh.

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• Pirates' David Bednar: Favorite for saves

  26D ago • By RotoWire

  Bednar is expected to begin the 2025 season as the Pirates' closer, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports. Bednar endured a tough 2024 season, highlighted by a 5.77 ERA and 1.42 WHIP across 57.2 innings. As a result, he didn't close the campaign in the closer role, instead ceding most of the opportunities to Aroldis Chapman in the final month. Chapman has since signed in Boston, leaving Pittsburgh hopeful that Bednar will be able to regain his previous form as a reliable closer. Bednar and the team have noted that he was overthrowing his pitches last season -- potentially due to an oblique injury he suffered early in the campaign -- an issue they believe has been resolved during the offseason.

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• Pirates' David Bednar: Settles with Pittsburgh

  01/09/2025 • By RotoWire

  The Pirates and Bednar avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $5.9 million contract Thursday, Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Bednar had a rough 2024 campaign, losing his closer job while collecting a 5.77 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 58:28 K:BB across 57.2 innings of work. He could get another shot in the ninth inning in 2025 but won't be handed the job.

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