New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will have to pay up to retain a key pitcher. The club enters the offseason with several roster holes to fill. Cashman and Co. will be looking to replace Jazz Chisholm and Trent Grisham and to upgrade on Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells. Nevertheless, the bullpen is also a key area of concern for the Yankees.
Headlining New York’s list of free agents they want to retain is David Bednar. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel believes that the Yankees will have to reward the star closer to keep him in place. The veteran pitcher is free to sign with any Major League Baseball team after his final year of arbitration ended. He was paid $9 million in 2026, but will be looking for a big pay raise this winter.
“Because he’s 32 years old, I’m thinking it’s either a three- or four-year deal and very likely comes with a QO attached,” McDaniel says of Bednar. “He has a slightly better case than Devin Williams, who landed a three-year, $51 million deal with deferrals last winter, so I have Bednar a notch above that.”
With this in mind, McDaniel projects the closer will receive a three-year, $60 million ($20 million AAV) contract offer soon. The New York Yankees extended a one-year, $23 million qualifying offer to Bednar on November 2. The star is not expected to sign the deal, but has until November 17 to think about it. If he signs with another team, New York will receive a high draft pick as compensation.
New York Yankees Need to Keep David Bednar in Their Bullpen
While the New York Yankees officially submitted the qualifying offer to Bednar, the two sides can still negotiate a multi-year deal. This is the most likely scenario. New York will certainly not want their closer to depart for another club during the offseason. After all, he posted a 2.47 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and recorded 35 saves in 2026.
McDaniel’s contract projection for Bednar is fairly similar to a recent prediction by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden. The former MLB exec claimed that the Yankees closer would receive a three-year, $55 million offer in free agency. Like the ESPN reporter, Bowden also referenced Williams’ agreement with the New York Mets. The Athletic contributor specifically named the Yankees as the best fit for Bednar.
Keeping the bullpen a strength should be a priority for the New York Yankees. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller even recently claimed that relief pitching is the team’s biggest hole to fill this winter. Fellow relievers John Schreiber, Paul Blackburn, Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, and Michael Fulmer are all also now free agents.
New York Also Chasing Another Top Relief Pitcher
While the New York Yankees are expected to keep Bednar, they are unlikely to re-sign all of their bullpen pieces from 2026. Nevertheless, Cashman has already been heavily linked with star free agent Adrian Morejon. The San Diego Padres star is widely regarded as one of the top setup men in baseball. Potentially having the two stars finish off games would be a serious one-two punch for New York.
The Yankees, however, will have to be mindful of their other roster needs. Relief pitching may be a priority, but New York also has several spots to strengthen in the field.
Yankees Star Veteran Expected to Receive $60 Million Contract