Royals Should Pursue Yankees Reliever In Free Agency

The Kansas City Royals' bullpen has been a major sore point that came back to haunt them this year as they finished fifth in the AL Central and missed out on the postseason for the second-straight year.

With free agency set to begin five days after the conclusion of the World Series, the Royals have a lot of intriguing options to consider but one that stands out is New York Yankees reliever David Bednar.

The 32-year-old right-hander wrapped up a solid season, posting a 2.47 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 35 saves in 69.1 innings pitched. Moreover, he showed remarkable consistency after a rough 2024 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates that saw him compile a 5.77 ERA, prompting his trade to New York near the 2025 trade deadline.

Bednar's resurgence came almost immediately as he got his ERA down to a more respectable 2.19. As a result, potentially signing him won't be cheap by any means for Kansas City.

However, getting Bednar may be the move that finally addresses a flaw in the Royals' team construction that cost them numerous games.

Kansas City's late-season 11-5 loss to the division rival Cleveland Guardians comes to mind after right-handers Alex Lange and Spencer Bivens combined for four runs allowed during the ninth inning. Furthermore, the Royals suffered their worst loss of the year on June 26 against the Chicago White Sox as they surrendered 10 runs in the third using a total of eight pitchers.

Nate Pearson and Steven Cruz were two of the Royals' most consistent arms out of the bullpen this year. Cruz finished the season with a 4.30 ERA while Pearson's was 4.11. Despite their efforts, they can't do it all themselves, especially against clubs with stronger opposing lineups.

That is where Bednar could come in if Kansas City's front office ponies up the cash for him this offseason. Even when the Yankees' offense let him down in the AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Bednar fought until the end, striking out two batters and not allowing any runs when New York was eliminated on Oct. 7.

Bednar had another terrific night against the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 4, recording three punchouts as the Yankees earned a 2-0 shutout win. 

With that, I would love to see Bednar in a Kansas City uniform, but for the right price given that he plays such a volatile position in baseball and is starting to get up there in age.