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The Atlanta Braves are the best team in baseball. They feature plenty of talent on their roster and appear poised to make another deep playoff run. In 2021, Atlanta's World Series winning year, the Braves utilized a tremendous bullpen effort to propel them to a championship. Their relief core has been solid but injury-plagued in 2023. As a result, adding a reliever or two before the deadline makes sense for the Braves.
Josh Hader of the San Diego Padres would be the ideal trade candidate for Atlanta. Hader will hit free agency soon, but is one of the best closers in the game. He's extremely difficult on left-handed hitters but can take care of right-handers as well. San Diego may not sell, however, given their strong play of late.
The Braves still need to look into adding a reliever though. One other pitcher who also might not be on the move is David Bednar of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Perhaps, though, the Braves could tempt the Pirates with a trade offer and acquire Pittsburgh's All-Star closer.
David Bednar's current situation with Pirates
The Pirates started the 2023 season strong but have since fallen off. They aren't going to compete for the playoffs in 2023. Pittsburgh is selling, already dealing Carlos Santana away to the Milwaukee Brewers, but Bednar may not be available.
Bednar, 28, still has three years of team control remaining. This means he will be under contract through the 2026 season, per Spotrac. The Pirates are slowly building a contender and hope to make a playoff run within the next couple of years. It's possible they envision Bednar being apart of the roster for years to come.
That said, Pittsburgh could opt to capitalize on Bednar's value with teams such as the Braves needing bullpen help. The right-hander has been excellent in 2023, pitching to the tune of a sparkling 1.27 ERA while saving 21 games for the Pirates. He's now been an All-Star in back-to-back years, finishing 2022 with 19 saves and a 2.61 ERA.
The Pirates will receive a quality return if they choose to make David Bednar available ahead of the 2023 MLB trade deadline. He'd instantly become one of the most valuable relievers on the market given his age, years of remaining control, and impressive performance on the mound.
Braves trade for Bednar?
Trading for Bednar will not be a simple task for Atlanta. They don't have the best farm system in baseball and Pittsburgh would probably receive better prospects from other potential trade suitors. However, the Braves could still put something intriguing together.
The Pirates will likely want young and controllable starting pitching. It just so happens that eight of Atlanta's top 10 prospects are pitchers. Although the Braves don't have a ton of top-tier prospects, they feature pitching depth in their farm system. Trading at least one top 10 pitching prospect along with other lower-tier prospects for Bednar could lead to getting a deal done.
The Braves bullpen has been sharp for the most part in 2023. Adding Bednar would provide crucial depth and star power though amid the relief core's current injury concerns. Bednar could become a tremendous 7th or 8th inning option and possibly even receive save opportunities.
With the MLB trade deadline right around the corner, Atlanta must strike fast. The Braves would be smart to at least inquire about David Bednar as they attempt to build a true World Series contending roster.
