Yanks overhaul 'pen with Bednar, Doval and Bird trades

NEW YORK – When heavy storms halted play for nearly three hours in the bottom of the fifth inning Thursday afternoon, Giancarlo Stanton said it sparked a clubhouse competition: “Seeing who has the best internet connection.”

That WiFi came in handy. The Trade Deadline clock was on, and the Yankees were busy.

By the time the tarp was dragged across the infield, they had already acquired two relievers, David Bednar from the Pirates and Jake Bird from the Rockies. Then came Camilo Doval, acquired from the Giants just as the Yankees put the finishing touches on a 7-4 victory over the Rays at Yankee Stadium.

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Toss in a mid-game swap that saw infielder José Caballero switch dugouts after being dealt from Tampa Bay to New York, and another that prompted manager Aaron Boone to send Oswald Peraza back to the clubhouse after being traded to the Angels. It was chaotic, it was unforgettable, and – most importantly – the Yankees believe they have improved.

“I know we’re better,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “Just keeping it simple, we are better today than we were yesterday. So, mission accomplished there.”

Cashman’s maneuvers reshaped a club that has stumbled since late May, yet now believes it is equipped to repeat as American League champions. Bednar, Bird and Doval address a glaring need: the Yanks entered the day with the AL’s worst bullpen ERA (6.29) since July 1.

“The reality is, we have a number of guys that are more than capable of getting the final three outs,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Shortening the game has been a little bit of a challenge for us over the last month and a half, with some of the injuries we’ve had. I know we’ve got some high-powered guys now.”

TRADE DETAILS
Yankees get: RHP David Bednar
Pirates get: C Rafael Flores (Yankees' No. 8 prospect), C/1B Edgleen Perez (Yankees' No. 14), OF Brian Sanchez

Yankees get: RHP Jake Bird
Rockies get: 2B Roc Riggio (Yankees' No. 10 prospect), LHP Ben Shields (No. 28 prospect)

Yankees get: RHP Camilo Doval
Giants get: RHP Trystan Vrieling (Yankees' No. 19 prospect), C/3B Jesus Rodriguez (No. 25 prospect), LHP Carlos De La Rosa, 3B Parks Harber

Boone said Devin Williams will stay in the closer’s role, with the new trio filling in around him. Bednar and Bird are expected to join the team Friday in Miami; Doval was already in New York, where the Giants were preparing to play the Mets at Citi Field.

“We definitely got better today,” Williams said. “I know they’ll fit right into this clubhouse, and I’m excited to get to work with those guys.”

In corresponding moves, the Yankees optioned right-handers Yerry De Los Santos and Ian Hamilton to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

After adding third baseman Ryan McMahon, infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario and outfielder Austin Slater earlier this week, the Yankees turned their attention to pitching Thursday. Cashman and his staff huddled in a war room at the club’s Tampa, Fla. complex, weighing deals.

They did not check off everything on their shopping list. Cashman pursued starting pitchers, including the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara, but found asking prices prohibitive. Committed to retaining Jasson Domínguez, George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler, the Yankees still filled key holes.

“Some guys are more touchable than others, as I’ve said before,” Cashman said. “There’s a lot of guys that we like, and unfortunately, we parted with guys that we like. That’s just the nature of the beast.”

For Bednar, 30, the Yankees surrendered catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores, whom MLB Pipeline ranked as New York’s No. 8 prospect, along with catcher Edgleen Perez and outfielder Brian Sanchez.

To land Bird, they dealt second baseman Roc Riggio (No. 10) and left-hander Ben Shields (No. 28) to Colorado. The Doval trade cost catcher Jesus Rodriguez (No. 23), right-hander Trystan Vrieling (No. 17), infielder Parks Harber and lefty Carlos De La Rosa.

Given the return, Cashman felt the price was fair.

Bednar has been dominant since rejoining the Pirates in mid-April, converting all 17 of his save opportunities with a 1.70 ERA over 39 appearances. A two-time All-Star with a revamped curveball, Bednar rattled off 23 consecutive scoreless outings from May 24 to July 26.

“I’ve been pounding the table a little bit for a while now with him,” Boone said.

Doval, 28, was an All-Star with San Francisco in 2023, when he pitched to a 2.93 ERA and tied for the NL lead with 39 saves. The fireballer stumbled last season (4.88 ERA), but regained his form this year, with a 3.09 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings.

“He throws 100 miles an hour,” Williams said. “What else do you need to see?”

Bird, 29, carries a 4.73 ERA in 53 1/3 innings but has extreme splits: a 2.48 ERA at Coors Field, 7.40 on the road. He’ll be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and has two remaining Minor League options, giving the Yankees future flexibility.

“He'd give you three, four innings if he had to,” said Rockies GM Bill Schmidt. “One thing about Jake was, he was never afraid to take the ball.”

All three relievers are under team control through at least 2026, appealing for a club with Williams and Luke Weaver eligible for free agency after ‘25.

“That’s definitely a benefit,” Cashman said. “But we had conversations [about] rental relievers too, not just controlled relievers.”

Boone noted internal reinforcements are also on the way, including Luis Gil, Mark Leiter Jr., Fernando Cruz and Ryan Yarbrough. Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year, is scheduled to make his season debut Sunday in Miami.

“I’m looking forward to these players competing in a really difficult market against some really high-end teams,” Cashman said. “We’re looking forward to taking our shot.”