David Bednar's current run with Yankees raises contract extension questions

The New York Yankees' bullpen still has its flaws, but several members of the unit have turned things around over the last several weeks, making things look significantly less dire. The main man leading the charge has been closer David Bednar.

Bednar looked like a real problem child over the first month and a half of the season. The burly right-hander logged 21 innings with a 5.14 ERA and made even his successful appearances far too interesting for the likes of many. It looked as if he would need to be replaced as the Yankees' closer.

However, he suddenly flipped a switch. From May 19 through the All-Star break, he's thrown 19 innings without allowing a run, earned or otherwise. Over that time, he's surrendered just seven hits and three walks for a .111 batting average and a razor-thin 0.53 WHIP. He's been as automatic as automatic gets.

The only discernible change in that time period has been a dramatic reduction in his troublesome curveball. During the first 21 disastrous innings, he threw the pitch 28.1% of the time, and over the last 19 stellar frames, the bender has been utilized just 12.4% of the time.

Should the Yankees extend closer David Bednar before lockout?

The 31-year-old is a free agent at season's end, raising the question as to whether or not a future in pinstripes is in the cards. There isn't an easy answer.

If we accept that his early-season scuffles weren't the norm, we also have to accept that his current superhuman status won't continue throughout. It's obviously unreasonable to expect him to be flawless.

With that said, Bednar is easy to root for. He often has a big smile on his face, and his "ready to roll" attitude is exactly what you want to see from a closer. His two-inning performance on July 10 against the Washington Nationals was clutch to secure a victory in the series opener, and you have to love that he didn't use it as a crutch not to go back out there on July 11 to record the save, setting the scene for a sweep.

Likeability and tenacity are important qualities for sure, but the single most important quality for a closer is consistency. With Bednar, that's a question mark. He was a star with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2021-2023, but 2024 was a nightmare year for him (5.77 ERA). He also struggled early in 2025 and was even briefly demoted to Triple-A before returning and righting the ship.

That means his early 2026 implosion can't simply be dismissed. He's prone to these cold streaks, and that becomes a problem for a team with World Series aspirations that built an empire on the back of the best closer in MLB history.

The kind of contract that Bednar could land matters, too. If we look at what the Mets gave Devin Williams (three years and $51 million), it's easy to see how things could turn out poorly.

The other elephant in the room is the CBA drama and potential for a lockout in 2027. Signing Bednar and not getting a return on the investment in 2027 would be a blow, and committing big dollars now when we don't know if a salary cap is in the cards doesn't seem smart.

On the flip side, the free-agent closer market is pretty barren. Pitchers like Raisel Iglesias are the cream of the crop, and he'll be 37. Other options would be Pete Fairbanks, who owns a 6.75 ERA this year; Emilio Pagan, who might not opt out after an injury-plagued 2026; and Kenley Jansen, who very well may (and should) retire. Bednar is likely the best option, and it's not particularly close.

If the Yankees can come to a reasonable deal, then locking up Bednar makes a ton of sense. However, if he holds out for top-tier money, it might be worth exploring other solutions, even if the landscape is less than appealing.

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