Yankees Urged to Pursue All-Star David Bednar Replacement

New York Yankees closer David Bednar is slated to hit the free-agent market this offseason, and while the Yankees surely would love to retain him, age and cost are significant opposing variables.

Bednar is now 32 years old, and while he was terrific in 2026, he saw a slight decline in both velocity and strikeouts.

A decline could be coming, so the Yankees may understandably not be amenable to handing him a lucrative multi-year contract.

As a result, New York may be forced to explore the trade market for answers, and one name that has surfaced as a possibility is Milwaukee Brewers star Trevor Megill.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller has pitched Megill as a top potential target for the Yankees this winter, and while it still carries some risk, it makes some sense.

Like Bednar, Megill is 32, but he is under club control for one more season. That would allow New York to potentially acquire him on a discount, get one year out of him and then re-evaluate once he prepares for free agency next winter.

Megill posted a 2.63 ERA and 0.892 WHIP this season, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He was an All-Star in 2025 after logging a 2.49 ERA and 11.5 K/9.

The right-hander entered the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs in 2021 and then signed with the Minnesota Twins heading into 2022.

After one year in Minnesota, Megill was dealt to the Brewers, where he quickly developed into a major asset out of the bullpen.

Megill recorded a more pedestrian 3.63 ERA during his debut campaign in Milwaukee in 2023, but he racked up 13.5 punchouts per nine frames. That came across 31 appearances.

The following year, Megill pitched to the tune of a 2.72 ERA, establishing himself as a reliable force in the later innings for the Brewers.

Even if the Yankees end up retaining Bednar, they could use another arm in the back end of their pen, especially with Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough, Tim Hill and John Schreiber all hitting the open market. Plus, Brent Headrick had a very heavy workload in 2026.

Of course, cost matters. New York surely wouldn't want to surrender a massive haul for Megill, particularly considering he will become a free agent after 2027. But because of his age and his impending free-agent status, Milwaukee may be willing to accept a lesser return.

Megill is definitely an interesting name for the Yankees to consider in the coming months.