Philadelphia Phillies: 3 players to pilfer from the Pittsburgh Pirates

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Jul 24, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher David Bednar (51) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the tenth inning at PNC Park. Miami won 6-5 in ten innings. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Philadelphia Phillies target No. 3 | RHP David Bednar

Pirate’s closer David Bednar is expected to be one of the top relievers on the trade block this season. After finishing last season tied eighth in NL rookie of the year voting, Bednar has turned in yet another fantastic performance so far this season.

With an ERA of 2.76 and an average of 12 strikeouts per nine innings, it’s no wonder why so many teams are after the talented closer. He figures to hop right into the same role for just about any interested party, and the hope is that he is able to help teams, like the Philadelphia Phillies, have a surety about their ability to close out games.

The case against Bednar is his shocking low save percentage of 81%, which ranks 18th among qualified closers in the Majors. Does the Pirates’ poor team factor into that equation? A bit, but not enough to fully explain it away. Then there is the rise of Seranthony Dominguez, who has seemingly secured the role of the Phillies’ closer going forward.

In six opportunities, Dominguez has blown just one save, his first opportunity back on April 19th against the Colorado Rockies. Since then, The Phillies’ comeback player has been nothing short of phenomenal, going a perfect five for five in save opportunities. Not to mention his 1.17 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 30.2 innings of work.

Seranthony Dominguez may have taken the Phillies out of the market for a pitcher altogether. Or at least a closing pitcher.

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