The Chicago Cubs could target a proven late-inning arm this winter, according to one free-agent projection that has David Bednar leaving the New York Yankees for a three-year, $54 million deal on the North Side.
Max Rieper of SB Nation’s Royals Review identified Bednar as the top established closer on the open market and named Chicago among several possible landing spots, along with Toronto, the Mets, Philadelphia, the White Sox, and the Yankees themselves.
He ultimately projected the Cubs as the winners, arguing that a relatively thin class of reliable relievers should push the right-hander’s value higher than a typical one-year deal.
Bednar, 32, delivered a strong 2026 season after arriving in New York via mid-2025 trade from Pittsburgh. He went 7-3 with 35 saves and a 2.47 ERA across 64 appearances, striking out 76 batters in 69 1/3 innings.
The two-time All-Star has settled in as a dependable ninth-inning option, though retaining him will not be cheap.
The Yankees extended a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer on November 2; Bednar has until November 17 to accept or reject it, while both sides can continue discussing a longer contract.
For Chicago, the projected addition addresses a clear shortcoming.
The Cubs’ bullpen dealt with injuries and uneven performance throughout 2026. Former closer Daniel Palencia missed more than two months with an elbow issue, forcing manager Craig Counsell to shuffle late-inning roles.
Jacob Webb assumed many of the save chances and finished with nine saves and a 3.36 ERA, yet he also surrendered several important leads down the stretch.
The club re-signed Webb on November 2 to a one-year, $2 million contract that includes a club option for 2028, providing some continuity but not fully resolving the need for a more established high-leverage presence.
President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has already acknowledged the problem, telling reporters after the season that he had done a poor job constructing the relief corps.
Adding Bednar would give Counsell a veteran closer while potentially shifting Webb and a healthy Palencia into other high-pressure spots.
Chicago is coming off a promising 2026 campaign highlighted by Pete Crow-Armstrong’s emergence, and improving the bullpen ranks among the clearest offseason priorities.
Nothing in the projection indicates that the Cubs have already contacted Bednar or his representatives.
The Yankees remain interested in keeping their closer, so any pursuit of the projected $54 million contract would likely involve competition.
Still, for a team seeking to shore up one of its biggest weaknesses, Bednar represents a costly but potentially impactful solution as Chicago looks ahead to 2027.
