The Yankees have a straightforward offseason call in front of them, and it starts with David Bednar.
New York is set to watch six relievers hit free agency soon: Michael Fulmer, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, John Schreiber, Paul Blackburn, and Bednar. Among that group, Bednar stands out as the arm the Yankees should be most intent on keeping.
He has filled the closer role for New York for parts of the last two seasons and turned 35 of 39 save chances in 2026. Since arriving in last year’s trade deadline deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he’s settled in quickly and given Aaron Boone a reliever the Yankees could trust in some of the biggest spots.
That trust showed up in the way Boone used him. New York regularly asked Bednar to get four- and five-out saves, a clear sign of how much the manager leaned on the right-hander.
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner expects the Yankees to keep Bednar from reaching the open market, but that kind of move won’t come cheap. Kirschner wrote that New York should be ready to go past the $10 million annual mark, something the club has not done for a reliever since 2019, when Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman signed new deals.
“The Yankees have not paid a reliever at least $10 million a season since 2019, when Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman signed new deals with the club.
"The Yankees have instead opted to find scraphead arms, turn them into excellent pitchers, and then watch them get paid handsomely elsewhere. That should change this offseason," Kirschner wrote.
The numbers back up the case for Bednar, too. Kirschner noted that he is one of two pitchers to log at least 100 combined regular-season and postseason innings since joining the Yankees at last year’s deadline. His 2.27 ERA is second among those relievers.
New York can still extend the qualifying offer to Bednar, but he is likely looking for a multi-year contract that pays him well. Based on everything he’s done since arriving, the Yankees should be the team writing that check.
In Other News...
Yankees May Have Finally Found A Ryan McMahon Trade Path
Ryan McMahons first Yankees season did not go the way anyone in the organization imagined. He struggled at third base both at the plate and in the field, and with one year left on his contract, the Yankees are already being pushed to think about what comes next rather than waiting for the fit to improve on its own. If they are going to move him, they will need a partner willing to take on a short-term answer at the hot corner, which narrows the field quickly.
The Cardinals may offer that kind of opening, since they have shown interest in a short-term third baseman. That does not mean a deal is close, but it does give the Yankees a plausible trade path if they decide to move on from McMahon, and any discussion would likely center on whether a return piece such as catcher Pedro Pages could be part of the conversation. For now, it is still mostly a framework for a deal rather than a finished one, but it is at least the sort of framework New York has been looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Chisholms Old Feud Just Gave Yankees Fans Another Reason To React
Jazz Chisholm Jr. has dragged an old clubhouse grievance back into the spotlight, saying Miguel Rojas once destroyed his custom cleats during their shared time with the Miami Marlins as part of hazing. Rojas has since addressed the allegation without exactly disputing it, saying he would rather keep those kinds of matters private. It is the sort of off-field dustup that still has a way of following players long after they leave the same room.
Now Rojas has given Yankees fans another reason to take notice after showing up in custom cleats celebrating the Dodgers back-to-back championships and nodding toward a possible third straight title. For a New York fan base that is always watching the other contenders, and especially one with Chisholm now in pinstripes, the timing adds a little extra edge to a relationship that already carried some baggage. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Once Had A Future Brewers October Threat In Their Hands
Jake Bauers was one of those low-key Yankees acquisitions that looked more like a depth move than a long-term piece, but he made enough noise in 2023 to get noticed. After a strong start in Triple-A, he brought some power and patience to the plate in pinstripes, giving New York a useful left-handed bat before the club moved on from him the following offseason.
The Yankees sent Bauers to Milwaukee in a trade for Brian Sanchez and Jace Avina, and the Brewers have since gotten the better end of the deal in the short term. Bauers has fit well in Milwaukee and even chipped in during the 2024 National League Championship Series, with a free-agent decision looming next and a reminder that a player New York once had in hand could end up mattering on a bigger October stage. [Read more 🡒]