Yankees’ David Bednar focused on championships as WBC, free agency loom
As David Bednar prepares for his first full season in pinstripes, the Yankees’ closer and impending free agent is trying to stay present.
“I haven’t thought much at all about it,” Bednar recently said of the potential payday that awaits. “I try and just take it one day at a time, be where your feet are.”
It’s an understandable, if cliché, approach for the 31-year-old, as the past year has demonstrated just how quickly things can change in baseball.
Last April, Bednar was a demoted hometown hero, optioned to Triple-A by the Pirates after an ugly start to his 2025 campaign (and a disappointing 2024). Then came a rebound, a return to Pittsburgh’s closing job, and a summer trade to the Bronx. Before long, Bednar found himself saving games in his first trip to the postseason.
Now Bednar is a strong season away from cashing in. Whether he does so with the Yankees remains to be seen — he told the Daily News no extension talks happened over the offseason — but he has enjoyed his time in the organization thus far.
The Yankees, meanwhile, have enjoyed having Bednar around, and not just because he took over the closer’s role from Devin Williams, saved 10 games with a 2.19 ERA for them in the regular season, and added two saves and a 1.50 ERA in five playoff games. In addition to his numbers, there’s also been an appreciation for the way that Bednar has brought a steady presence to the Bombers’ bullpen and clubhouse.
“It means a lot to have people like that who are your stars, or your core guys, or just key pieces that are also not divas,” Aaron Boone said last week. “You know he’s setting the right example all the time. He’s been through a lot in this game at the big league level. He rose to getting really good, had struggles, got demoted, and returned to form. So he’s been through a lot. I like guys that have been through [things] and are kind of chiseled.
“I’ve been a fan of Bednar for a few years now. Kind of been hoping he’d land here at some point.”
That wasn’t the first time Boone raised those points. He added that the Yankees had done due diligence on Bednar’s makeup long before the trade and had explored deals for him in the past.
Perhaps that long-term infatuation will lead to a long-term marriage this offseason, though the Yankees haven’t spent big on a free agent reliever since 2019.
In the meantime, Bednar has a few things he wants to accomplish first.
“I’m excited to be here in spring training with the guys and just kind of get everything going with that sole focus of winning a World Series,” said the righty, who never played on a winning team during his five years with the Pirates. “I think it’s really cool that that’s the singular focus, and you can tell everybody’s all bought into that.”
There is another title that Bednar is hoping to win even sooner, however.
That would be a World Baseball Classic championship. Bednar is pitching for Team USA again — he, Aaron Judge and several other Yankees left camp over the weekend to join their respective countries — after the stars and stripes lost the tournament’s final game to Japan in 2023.
With a shot at redemption and Team USA boasting its most talented squad yet with Judge captaining, Bednar said that signing up for another WBC was a “no-brainer.”
“Just look at the roster. It’s an incredibly impressive group. It all starts with that guy over there,” Bednar said, motioning toward Judge’s locker. “It just starts to influence and has a domino effect. And I think everybody saw the excitement of how special it was the last go-around.
“Everybody’s hungry to get that gold.”
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