3 Braves trade targets from Pirates deadline selling, 1 to avoid

1. David Bednar, RP

As mentioned, the Braves don’t have to swing for the fences at the trade deadline. But if they were going to and choose to address what many have identified as their biggest need — help deepening the bullpen, especially on the back end — then David Bednar might not just be their top target on the Pirates, but the best target for Atlanta in all of baseball.

Through 31 appearances this season in Pittsburgh, Bednar has done nothing but furtehr cement himself as one of the best late-game relievers in MLB. He’s posted a 1.44 ERA and 0.89 WHIP on the season, both of which are career-best marks for the right-hander, while also notching 16 saves in 17 opportunities on the year.

While this might be the best year of Bednar’s career, his track record is still exceptionally strong. The 28-year-old posted a 2.61 ERA and and 1.12 WHIP a year ago but was better than that in 2021 with a 2.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Put simply, he’s been elite at his job.

For the Braves, though, the reason that a high-priced trade move for Bednar would be prudent is actually twofold. First, adding a top-tier closer to the bullpen would allow both Raisel Igelsias and AJ Minter to move into set-up and late-inning roles that better suit them, which Minter has proven in the past month or so after a tenuous start to the 2023 campaign.

Moreover, Alex Anthopoulos has shown a proclivity for players who have plenty of club control remaining when identifying trade targets, a box that Bednar checks with three years of arbitration left starting in 2024. That’s a massive opportunity for Atlanta to set up the bullpen for the future with an already-established dominant closer.