MLB rumors: Pirates listening to offers for star closer David Bednar
The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of the hottest teams at the start of the 2023 MLB season, even sitting in first place in the NL Central division for a short while. But, the Pirates have fallen back to Earth recently, with the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds looking like the favorites to win the division, they now sit in last place in the division. Yes, even behind the struggling and selling St. Louis Cardinals.
So, the Pirates appear to be prime selling candidates at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. As it turns out, they are listening to offers on one of their best players — closer David Bednar.
According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Pirates are telling teams that they will listen to offers on Bednar. However, Heyman points out that it could be difficult for teams to acquire him since the closer is under contract through the 2026 season.
Bednar has been stellar so far this season, as evidenced by the 1.15 ERA that he has on the year thus far. Add that, and the fact that he's under contract for three more seasons, and you've got yourself a high price tag.
Besides his 1.15 ERA, Bednar also recorded a .0.95 WHIP, a 3-1 record, 19 saves on 20 opportunities, 47 strikeouts, and 9 walks in 39.0 innings (38 games).
Teams that are in postseason contention are going to look to bolster their bullpens. That has been the trend for quite some time. For those looking to get a great closer option for the rest of the season and beyond, Bednar fits the bill. The question is, will the Pirates move on from him? Or will their high asking price prevent a deal from happening, i.e. Bryan Reynolds this past winter?
MLB rumors: Buck Showalter uses Sunday Night Baseball to advertise Mark Canha to contender
As it turns out, having the highest payroll in all of baseball doesn't guarantee a spot in the postseason. The New York Mets are the latest example of that.
Owner Steve Cohen flexed his checkbook this past offseason, looking to bring in as many big-name free agents as possible after getting eliminated in the Wild Card Series by the San Diego Padres. Cohen spent nearly $500 million on free agents! The Mets signed the likes of Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and David Robertson while keeping Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo long-term.
What have these signings gotten the Mets? A 46-53 record as of July 24, a seat in fourth place in the NL East, and an incentive to sell at the trade deadline. While there may not be any stars on the move, the outfielders could command some attention.
Manager Buck Showalter did his part in pitching one of his players to contending teams. That player was outfielder Mark Canha. After the Mets' 6-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox, Showalter praised Canha for not only being able to play all three outfield positions but also first and third base.
Canha played 47 games in left field, 10 games in right field, 12 games at first base, and 4 games at third base. So, does anyone need a super utility player? Because Showalter has the player for you!
This season, Canha recorded a .238 batting average, a .338 on-base percentage, a .381 slugging percentage, six home runs, 27 runs, 28 RBI, 57 hits, 48 strikeouts, and 29 walks over 239 at-bats (83 games).
Recently, ESPN's Buster Olney linked the Seattle Mariners as a potential match for Canha.
With the Mets falling further and further out of postseason contention, trading away players to help build for their future appears to be the right route to go. Canha could be a player the Mets decide to ship to a team making a push for the postseason.
MLB rumors: Angels discuss trade scenarios with teams interested in Shohei Ohtani
The biggest name at the MLB trade deadline is none other than Los Angeles Angels' two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. That was the case since the start of the season, as fans and media alike expected the team to struggle out of the gate and fall well out of the postseason picture. Instead, the team is 51-49 as of the morning of July 24.
Ohtani is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, and he will likely have almost every team trying to sign him. Trading Ohtani would make sense for the Angels to ensure they get some sort of return in case they were to lose him for nothing in free agency. But, trading away a generational baseball player would not look good on owner Arte Moreno's part. So what are the Angels to do?
According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Angels have spoken to other teams about possible trade scenarios for Ohtani. That comes even as the team won six of their last eight games.
As of this writing, the Angels are eight games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West, and four games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the AL. Even with these factors, the team is still doing their due diligence regarding a potential deal with Ohtani.
Ohtani is valuable to the Angels not just on the field, but off of it as well. After all, he is the team's biggest money-maker. Oh, and he is the easy favorite to win the AL MVP award this season.
Angels fans may or may not have seen Ohtani's last home game this Sunday. From there until the Aug. 1 deadline, the team will be on the road. Will Ohtani remain with the team when they return to Anaheim on Aug. 3 against the Seattle Mariners? We'll find out in the coming days.
