After a season when he recorded 35 saves for the Yankees, tying him for second-most in the American League, New York extended closer David Bednar a $23.15 million qualifying offer Monday, immediately starting a two-week ticking clock on whether to test the free agent market.
Bednar can take the guaranteed one-year deal or shop his services on the open market. His decision will shape the Yankees’ bullpen plans for 2027.
The Yankees made the offer ahead of the 5 p.m. ET deadline, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Passan. Bednar was one of eight players to receive a qualifying offer, according to ESPN baseball insider Jeff Passan.
The qualifying offer is designed to match the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players in the majors, and Bednar has until Nov. 17 to accept or reject it. Accepting would make him the highest-paid reliever in baseball, according to CBS Sports.
But the qualifying offer is for one season only. If Bednar accepts, he is eligible to become a free agent again after the 2027 season.
In mid-October, the Yankees were expected to make the offer to a closer “who had a terrific year,” according to The Post‘s Jon Heyman, who also reported that they were unlikely to extend a QO to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm did not get the offer. Bednar is the only Yankees player who did.
Yankees’ David Bednar Free Agency Outlook
Bednar’s 2026 salary was $9 million, the product of a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. He is likely to decline the qualifying offer and command three to four years at $18 million to $20 million annually, according to Bleacher Report, which puts the chance he accepts the offer at below 10 percent.
If he rejects the offer and signs elsewhere, the Yankees receive draft compensation which they would not have received without extending the QO to Bednar.
The Yankees’ interest in Bednar predates the 2025 trade that brought him to the Bronx from the Pittsburgh Pirates. General manager Brian Cashman approached him at a Lafayette College event in 2023 and said, “We’ve been trying to get you for years,” as quoted by NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch.
Heading into this season, manager Aaron Boone said, “My plan is for Bednar to close,” as quoted by Pinstripes Nation.
Captain Aaron Judge has said, “He always finds his way out of it. You’ve got to have full trust in your guy,” as quoted by MLB.com‘s Bryan Hoch.
Bednar has not said publicly whether he wants to return. In May, Yankees Magazine asked what set New York apart from his previous stops.
“It’s the expectation of winning. And not just, ‘Let’s get into the playoffs.’ It’s the expectation of a World Series. That’s the goal,” Bednar said, according to Yankees Magazine‘s Jon Schwartz.
A Pittsburgh native, Bednar also left the Pirates with a message to the city.
“The Burgh will always be home,” he wrote, as quoted by Sportskeeda after the trade.
New York Yankees’ David Bednar Career and Postseason Record
Bednar, 32, grew up in Mars, Pennsylvania, and pitched at Lafayette College before the San Diego Padres took him in the 35th round of the 2016 draft. He became a two-time All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates and earned his 100th career save with the Pirates on July 26, 2025.
Five days later, the Yankees acquired him for Rafael Flores, Edgleen Perez and Brian Sanchez. Bednar had been sent to Triple-A Indianapolis earlier that season, but he went 4-0 with 10 saves in 22 appearances for New York, with a 0.93 WHIP over 24 2/3 innings.
He recorded his first postseason save on Oct. 1, 2025, closing a 4-3 win over Boston in Game 2 of the wild-card series.
Bednar finished 2026 with a 7-3 record with a 2.47 ERA and a 2.61 FIP in 69 1/3 innings, and he converted 35 of 39 save chances.
In 86 appearances with New York, Bednar owns a 2.39 ERA, 45 saves and 111 strikeouts in 94 innings.
He made three appearances in the 2026 playoffs, allowing a hit and a walk but no runs in three innings, before the Tampa Bay Rays swept the Yankees in the division series.
Yankees Make New Decision on 35-Save Closer David Bednar as Free Agency Begins