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Mel Schuster - emjayinTN's avatar

The Pirates paid $10 mil to sign Aroldis Chapman last year, and he pitched in 68 games/62 IP 3.79 ERA. After 39 Saves and a 2.00 ERA in 2023, Bednar earned about $4.2 mil in his first year of Arbitration. This year Bednar will be paid $5.9 mil after blowing 7 Saves last year. The bad 2024 actually kept him in the "reasonable range" for a Pirate Closer for 2025.

Through 2024, his Career Value in fWAR for the Pirates is 4.7, which in dollars is $36.4 mil, and we have probably paid him less than $7 mil since getting him from SD in the Musgrove Trade. I think the Pirates should be looking at candidates to be our future Closer, and guys like Kyle Nicolas, Eddy Yean, and Jaden Woods are auditioning right now. I do not see Jared Jones as wanting to become the Closer. He has been very successful as a SP, and the future potential earnings as a SP could be much greater for him than as a Closer.

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bmcferren's avatar

regardless if Bednar bounces back, he is getting up there is arbitration

is it time to start considering Jared Jones as the closer?

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