The Chicago Cubs are a team with few holes. A back-end starter would help, so would a third baseman, but perhaps the Cubs look to bolster an already impressive bullpen with a marquee reliever. ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently listed Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bender as his No. 20 deadline candidate, and Chicago as a “best fit” for his services.
Cubs Linked to Pirates Closer David Bednar Ahead of Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Chicago Cubs are a team with few holes.
A back-end starter would help, so would a third baseman, but perhaps the Cubs look to bolster an already impressive bullpen with a marquee reliever.
So far, their bullpen ranks seventh in the Majors with a combined ERA of 3.60. If the asking price for a legitimate postseason starter is too rich, they could look to shorten games with extra arms.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently listed Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bender as his No. 20 deadline candidate, and Chicago as a “best fit” for his services.
Bednar, 31 in October, has one year left of team control before hitting free agency in 2027. While the in-division tax may be too rich for the Cubs to stomach, the Pirates are 39-61 and are never reluctant to trade MLB talent for prospects.
From Chicago’s perspective, Bednar would slot in nicely alongside Daniel Palencia — who has been a blessing from the baseball gods — at the back end of the bullpen.
Bednar sports a 2-5 record with a 2.45 ERA, a 2.06 FIP, 13 saves, and 45 strikeouts to 9 walks over 33 innings and 37 appearances. As good as Palencia has been, Bednar could easily usurp the closer duties.
Aside from a disastrous 2024 campaign, Bednar has a 3.03 ERA, a 2.97 FIP, and 97 saves over 270 and 1/3 innings since the beginning of 2021. Those guys do not grow on trees.
There are more obvious positional upgrades for the Cubs, but this is a win-now team, and they could acquire Bednar without selling too much of the farm.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
