David Bednar’s career arc has taken a turn for the worse over the last 12 months.
The Pittsburgh native has gone from a fan favorite, top-of-the-line major league closer and one of the very few players to help maintain the Pirates’ relevancy to a precarious pitcher who wasn’t trustworthy on the mound.
Bednar opened this season as the embattled closer of an unproven bullpen. As was the case with many of their offseason acquisitions, Bednar was a reliever that the Pirates hoped would bounce back, forming a cost-effective bullpen that could put up stellar results.
But just six days into the season, Bednar was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis in a stunning move. Just days after the organization was confident enough to have Bednar as the closer to open the year, the team had moved him off the major league roster entirely.
It wasn’t without reason. Bednar had surrendered three earned runs in as many appearances. He recorded one strikeout and two walks, as well as a wild pitch that allowed a winning run by the Marlins in Miami.
In two of his games, Bednar was unable to secure a single out, earning the loss in both games. His lone save of the season was marred by allowing a two-run homer to turn a comfortable 4-1 lead into a 4-3 nailbiter. There was an immense sense of uneasiness whenever Bednar took the mound.
Yet, it was still surprising to see the Pirates go as far as to demote him. The team, much to the dismay of an angry fan base, had stuck beside Bednar all of 2024, which saw him a 5.77 ERA, 1.422 WHIP and a 2.07 strikeout-to-walk ratio, all of which were the worst numbers he put up in a Pirates uniform.
In particular, manager Derek Shelton never showed caution around Bednar. In almost every save situation, Shelton trotted Bednar back out there, no matter the struggles. Whether he was unable or unwilling to see Bednar’s struggles, Shelton’s continual use of him eventually cost the team dearly.
From the beginning of last year until the end of August — when Bednar was removed from the closer’s role — Bednar had blown six saves and was charged with seven losses, while his opponents were batting .258 against him.
The Pirates re-signed him in the offseason and showed full faith in Bednar’s ability to return to his All-Star form. Unlike the year before, when the Pirates signed Aroldis Chapman, the team made no effort to bring in someone with experience as a major league closer. Believing in Bednar was one thing, but the organization put themselves in a position where Bednar returning to his 2023 self was paramount to the team’s success.
But after just three games, the results were so bad that the Pirates were forced to abandon ship on that plan and option him.
Aside from one rehab assignment in September of 2022, Bednar had never pitched in Triple-A since the club had acquired him in a three-team trade from San Diego in the winter of 2021. His first season in Pittsburgh saw him establish himself as a dominant major league arm, where he posted a 2.23 ERA and earned votes for NL Rookie of the Year. Bednar’s three saves and 13 holds propelled his stock as a high-leverage guy. By 2022, he was entrenched as the closer for the Pirates.
Now, Bednar finds himself having to re-prove himself as a major league pitcher.
To his credit, Bednar has started his time in Indianapolis rather well. He has tossed five scoreless innings as of Thursday, totaling seven strikeouts and no walks. In three games, he has recorded a pair of punch-outs. The only hit he has allowed was an infield single in Indianapolis’ 12-inning walk-off win on Wednesday.
It’s an encouraging start for Bednar, who would have to look all the way back to May 31 through June 8 to see the last time he pitched in five games without any earned runs against him.
But for the Pirates, it’s crucial that they don’t let his early success in Indianapolis fool them. Calling Bednar back up to Pittsburgh is something they should not rush.
Indianapolis has yet to deploy Bednar in any true high-leverage situation. He has not pitched in any inning later than the seventh inning so far, and three of his appearances have come with one team having a multi-run lead.
Until Triple-A manager Chris Truby puts Bednar on the mound in more high-pressure situations, and until he can prove that he has re-found that consistency and control that helped him dominate in Pittsburgh, the Pirates should leave him in Indianapolis.
Unlike last year, Indianapolis has no designated closer for its team. Veteran pitchers Isaac Mattson, Ryder Ryan and Yohan Ramirez have all teamed up to fill that role so far. So, when he is deemed ready, there is absolutely an opening for Bednar to take up a ninth-inning job down in Triple-A.
The Pirates don’t have to rush or put a timetable on Bednar’s return to Pittsburgh. For all the problems this team has, its bullpen right now is not one of them. Dennis Santana, who has turned around his big league career after the Pirates claimed him off waivers last summer, has proven a capable closer for right now.
In addition to Santana, Caleb Ferguson, Joey Wentz and Justin Lawrence have all seen time in high-pressure scenarios and excelled so far. Even if Shelton has trouble managing a bullpen, he has options to close out games.
The Pirates can — and should — give Bednar another chance, but they should not rush him back to the active roster. In order to help him come back stronger than ever, they need to give him ample time to work out his issues in Triple-A.
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