New York had to give to get.
The New York Yankees had to give some to get some.
They picked up a big piece just hours before Thursday's MLB trade deadline, getting right-handed reliver David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bednar has a 2.37 ERA this season. He's from the Pittsburgh area, so maybe the move is a bit of a bummer for him in that respect, but he must be pumped to come right into a division title race and playoff contention.
To get Bednar, the Yankees had to give up three players, according to insider Jon Heyman.
The best of those was catcher Rafael Flores. MLB Pipeline ranks Flores as the No. 8 prospect in the Yankees' system.
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Flores has spent most of the season at Double-A Somerset, where he has batted .287 with 23 doubles and 15 homers in 87 games.
In limited Triple-A action, Flores has a small-sample-size average of .211 and one home run.
Beyond that, initial reports had varying elements of a return that didn’t quite match up.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan added the next big piece, another catcher: 19-year old Edgleen Perez.
Perez is thought to have a game mature beyond his years. Catchers take a long time to develop, but the Pirates will have all the time in the world with him, especially if Flores gets to the majors and can hold down that spot himself.
It sounds like the third player is outfield prospect Brian Sanchez.
He’s a 21-year old outfielder in Single-A batting .281 with 24 stolen bases. His power isn’t as developed, but he’s a big guy, so he could still grow into it. Sanchez is currently out injured.
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None of those names are crucial pieces to give up for Bednar. Flores is the toughest loss, for sure.
But the Yankees needed bullpen help, and now they've got Bednar. The best news is that he's under contract through the end of 2026. That's two postseason runs they can try and make together.
Bednar joins Devin Williams and Luke Weaver at the back end of the bullpen that is hard-throwing and very right-handed. The Yankees could have another move up their sleeve, but this might also be enough.
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Category: Baseball
