4 relievers Braves need to trade for with Aroldis Chapman off the board

1. David Bednar should be the Braves’ white whale of the trade deadline

One of the big questions for the Braves is just how aggressive the organization wants to be in upgrading the bullpen. Having said that, if they want to take the biggest swing possible, then there isn’t a better option out there for the franchise to pursue in a trade this season than Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar.

Despite the Pirates fading precipitously in the NL Central race over the past month-plus, Bednar has continued to affirm that he’s one of the best closers in baseball. For the season, the 28-year-old right-hander has 16 saves with a 1.44 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with just one blown save.

This isn’t a one-year wonder for him either. Bednar posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.12 WHIP a season ago and had a 2.23 ERA and 0.97 WHIP the year prior. He’s been legitimately elite as a late-inning reliever, but a talent who has been mired in obscurity with the struggling Buccos.

With reports that the Pirates could be selling at the trade deadline, there’s no guarantee that they would deal Bednar given that he still has three years of club control left on his contract. That fact combined with his performance, however, could make him their biggest trade asset at the deadline, especially for a motivated contender that needs a bullpen upgrade.

The sneaky truth about the Braves is that the inconsistency of Raisel Iglesias in the 2023 campaign could necessitate moving him out of the closer role. Bednar would afford the Braves the opportunity to do that and have him and Minter as the seventh and eighth inning guys and then bringing on the newcomer to finish it up. That’s a more comfortable role for all involved.

Moreover, Anthopoulos has often targeted players with several years of arbitration remaining on their contracts in trades so he can then lock them up to an extension. Bednar fits that bill and, as such, would be a perfect fit for what the club needs and, just as crucially, for how they’ve done business to build a contender.