Pirates poised for 2 unexpected arbitration battles after David Bednar bargain

The Pittsburgh Pirates avoided arbitration with four of their six eligible players ahead of Thursday's arbitration exchange deadline, and three of them came at a significant bargain.

While reliever Colin Holderman settled at $1.5 million, slightly higher than his projected salary of $1.4 million, Pittsburgh was able to settle with reliever David Bednar, starting pitcher Bailey Falter and catcher Joey Bart for less than their projected values, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

Pirates agree to bargain pre-arbitration deals with David Bednar, 2 others

After a disappointing 2024 season that saw him demoted from the closer role down the stretch, Bednar will make $5.9 million for the Pirates in 2025, which was well below his $6.6 million projection. The Pirates are hoping that the Pittsburgh native will return to pre-2024 form, when he made back-to-back appearances in the MLB All-Star Game.

After he finished with a 5.77 ERA and seven blown saves last season, Bednar is getting another chance to prove himself in Pittsburgh. As of now, it looks like he will slot in as the Pirates' closer in 2025, but time will tell if he can stay healthy and keep the job for the full season.

The Pirates also settled with Falter for $2.22 million, nearly $600,000 less than his projection. The southpaw is coming off a solid first season as a full-time starting pitcher after earning a spot in the Pirates’ Opening Day rotation, finishing 8-9 with a 4.43 ERA across 28 starts. Falter is expected to once again be part of the Pirates’ rotation in 2025.

Finally, the Pirates settled with catcher Joey Bart for $1.75 million, just shy of his $1.8 million projection. Bart had a breakout season with the Pirates, who acquired him from the San Francisco Giants early in the 2024 season. He hit .265 with .799 OPS and set career highs with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBI in 80 games, leapfrogging former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis and cementing himself in the starting catcher role for most of the season. It is expected that Davis and Bart will be among the catchers competing for the starter's role at spring training this year.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have not yet reached settlements with right-handers Johan Oviedo or Dennis Santana and will now exchange arbitration figures with both players. Oviedo missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery after going 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA across 32 starts in 2023. MLBTR projects Oviedo's salary to be $1.5 million in 2025.

Santana, on the other hand, was a waiver wire pickup by the Pirates during the regular season who was extremely effective, and even took over closing duties, along with Aroldis Chapman, when Bednar imploded down the stretch. In 39 appearances with Pittsburgh, Santana went 1-1 with a 2.44 ERA and one save. He’s projected to earn a $1.8 million salary in 2025.

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