The Pittsburgh Pirates are coming off another season where they missed the MLB playoffs.
That said, they have a lot of young talent on the roster (and were competitive for most of the 2026 season).
2x Pirates All-Star Immediately Becomes Free Agent
It’s worth noting that a former Pirates All-Star has officially elected free agency from the New York Yankees.
David Bednar will be available to sign with any team in the MLB this winter.
MLB.com wrote (on October 29): “RHP David Bednar elected free agency.”
Bednar is coming off a very solid year for New York.
He went 7-3 with a 2.47 ERA in 64 games (with 35 saves).
There is no question that Bednar will be a very intriguing free agent (who the Yankees should want to bring back).
Looking At Bednar
Bednar was picked in the 35th round of the 2016 MLB Draft.
He spent the first two seasons of his career with the San Diego Padres.
MLB.com wrote (on January 19, 2021): “Pittsburgh Pirates Traded RHP Joe Musgrove to San Diego Padres; New York Mets Traded C Endy Rodriguez to Pittsburgh Pirates; San Diego Padres Traded LHP Joey Lucchesi to New York Mets and San Diego Padres Traded RHP David Bednar, CF Hudson Head, RHP Drake Fellows and LHP Omar Cruz to Pittsburgh Pirates.”
Bednar then had a run with the Pirates that lasted part of five seasons.
He made two trips to the All-Star Game in that span.
The Pirates then traded him to the Yankees during the middle of the 2025 season.
Looking At The Pirates Right Now
The Pirates finished the year as the third-place team in the National League Central with an 82-80 record in 162 games.
They last made the MLB playoffs during the 2015 season.
2x Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star Immediately Becomes Free Agent