The Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly shown heavy interest in Pirates two-time All-Star closer David Bednar, per Gambo from Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
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#Dbacks are reportedly “heavily in” on David Bednar according to Gambo.
— Alex D’Agostino (@AlexDagAZ) July 27, 2023
David Bednar was originally drafted in the 35th round of the 2016 draft by the San Diego Padres, but it was not until he was traded to the Pirates in 2021 that Bednar really found his footing in the MLB.
Following back-to-back seasons of little playing time with the Padres, Bednar quickly made an impact in the Pirates bullpen. This began with the 2021 season, which consisted of 61 appearances and a 2.23 ERA during this time.
Since his original breakout season, the 28-year-old has been named to two All-Star games and is currently 5th in the National League with 20 saves.
On the flip side, the Diamondbacks this year are 29th in the league when it comes to converting saves in the 9th inning. Opponents hold a ridiculous .401 batting average against Arizona’s bullpen in 2023 during high leverage situations (.292 league average).
Things have gotten so bad for Arizona as of late that they actually went 17 games in a row to start July where their bullpen allowed a run.
And this streak is directly correlated to the current summer slump that the D-backs are experiencing.
After once holding a two-game lead over the Dodgers for first place in the NL West, the Diamondbacks are now four games behind in the division and would not make the playoffs if the season ended today.
Nevertheless, despite their .500 record in the past 50 games, GM Mike Hazen has insisted that his team will still be buyers heading into the deadline.
In this case, Pirates’ closer David Bednar would be just the perfect piece as the Diamondbacks seek to make a playoff push for the first time since 2017.
