No trade target is without flaw, but in terms of perfect fit, the New York Yankees reportedly got their man on Thursday afternoon, with three hours to go before the trade deadline bell. David Bednar, the two-time All-Star closer of the Pittsburgh Pirates (and a hometown fan favorite) will be headed to the Yankees after days, if not weeks, of negotiation with Ben Cherington.
Bednar, widely predicted to be a Yankee in the deadline's final hours, ticks a number of boxes. The Yankees' woefully thin bullpen needs arms wherever they can get them, but they might as well aim high, and Bednar's on an all-time heater, striking out 51 men in 38 innings this season with a 2.