Yankees Suddenly Have an Expensive David Bednar Problem

Remember earlier this season when David Bednar was on the brink of losing his job as New York Yankees closer? Seems like eons ago, right?

Over the last several months, Bednar has developed into a lights-out ninth inning arm. Since May 18, he owns a 1.52 ERA and a 0.77 WHIP. He is averaging 10 strikeouts per nine innings while owning a 4.18 K/BB ratio, and he has surrendered just one home run throughout that span.

On the season as a whole, Bednar lays claim to a 2.64 ERA, 1.027 WHIP and 10.1 K/9. He has been brilliant, and it's now clear that he can, in fact, handle New York.

The problem? Bednar is slated to hit free agency this offseason, and he is certainly going to command a hefty price tag.

The Yankees don't typically like to spend big money on relievers, which might have to do with the fact that they were burned on Aroldis Chapman. But MLB teams in general don't generally enjoy handing out big contracts to bullpen arms.

Bednar might be different, though.

Remove the right-hander from the equation this year, and just imagine how bad New York's bullpen would be here in the second half?

Bednar has been the Yankees' saving grace in the later innings, and they would surely love to keep him around for 2027 and beyond.

But at what cost?

Bednar turns 32 years old in October, and handing lucrative long-term deals to pitchers — starters or relievers — is always dangerous. But outside of a brutal 2024 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he logged a 5.77 ERA, Bednar has been nails ever since his first year with the Pirates in 2021.

The former 35th-round draft pick boasts a lifetime 3.07 ERA, 2.94 FIP and 10.9 K/9. And outside of the outlier that was 2024, command has never been a huge issue for him.

So, will the Yankees decide to bring back Bednar, who has been so valuable to them? Or will they be scared off by the cost?

It's a dilemma that New York doesn't have to address for another couple of months, but it's something that should definitely be in Brian Cashman's purview.

Baseball is funny, isn't it? In May, Yankees fans couldn't run Bednar out of town fast enough. Now, they are wondering where their team would be without him.

Well, we might be forced to find out if he departs this winter.