Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington could be using up a lot of the minutes on his calling plan over the next several weeks.
With July 31 the trade deadline approaching, the Pirates are definitely in seller’s mode. At 38-51 overall with 10 games separating Pittsburgh from the last wild card spot, Cherington will be looking to swap some of the team’s valued pieces in exchange for future assets.
And the Pirates boast a surprising number of those valued pieces. In fact, in a recent analysis of the “Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline,” Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors suggested that four current Pittsburgh players are among the top nine likely to be moved, with two others also making the list.
“The Pirates are expected to be open-minded on anyone but Paul Skenes and club icon Andrew McCutchen,” Jon Heyman of the New York Post recently wrote.
Pittsburgh Relievers David Bednar, Dennis Santana Could Satisfy Phillies Need to Fix Bullpen
Perhaps the Philadelphia Phillies could make Cherington’s job a little bit easier by taking two of Pittsburgh’s available players off his hands.
In a video report for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates insider Colin Beazley discussed the Phillies as one of five potential trade partners for Pittsburgh, noting that more than anything else, Philadelphia is in dire need of relief pitching.
“Namely, right-handed relievers,” Beazley said. “They’ve got one of the worst bullpens in baseball this year with a 4.55 bullpen ERA, 24th out of 30 major league teams.”
Beazley also noted the suspension of reliever Jose Alvarado for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, which will bar Alvarado from pitching in the postseason.
“The Phillies need a high-leverage guy,” Beazley said.
It just so happens that the Pirates have a pair of pitchers who would fit the bill for Philadelphia: David Bednar and Dennis Santana.
“Those are two high-leverage relievers that have performed really, really well this year,” Beazley said. “They can be slotted into the back end of Philadelphia’s bullpen.”
Phillies Inquired About Availability of Pittsburgh Relievers David Bednar, Dennis Santana
According to Noah Hiles of the Post-Gazette, the Phillies have reached out to inquire about both Santana and Bednar, with sources indicating that Santana appears to be “Philadelphia’s primary interest, at least for now.” Meanwhile, Hiles reported that the Phillies’ interest in Bednar “has received a notable uptick as of late,” owing to a dominant June that earned him NL Pitcher of the Month honors.
The pitchers have one remaining year of club control after this season, with 2026 marking the final year of arbitration eligibility for both right-handers.
In exchange for the relief duo, Beazley suggested one member of the Phillies’ current roster who could be of interest to Pittsburgh is 27-year-old outfielder Brandon Marsh. With Justin Crawford, Philadelphia’s No. 3 prospect, making his case for a callup at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Beazley surmised that Marsh might be expendable.
“Doesn’t have that much pop, but he is affordable, he’s under team control, and he hits right-handed pitching,” Beazley said. “He’s a major league bat, and that’s something that the Pirates could potentially use.”
Among the prospects who could be included in a trade, Beazley singled out pitcher Mick Abel, the No. 5-rated prospect who was just sent back to Triple-A after hitting some bumps at the major league level. Beazley also touted Triple-A outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. (No. 11) and Single-A second baseman Aroon Escobar (No. 6).
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