# Royals Need David Bednar for Bullpen Rebuild

> Royals should target David Bednar as free agent closer to fix weak bullpen.
- Title: Royals Need David Bednar for Bullpen Rebuild | Shortify
- Summary: Royals should target David Bednar as free agent closer to fix weak bullpen. Royals need David Bednar to improve bullpen after he had 35 saves and 2.47 ERA in…
- Keywords: kansas city royals, david bednar, bullpen, free agent, royals, mlb, royals radar, closer, 2026, save rate, splitter pitch, Need
- Source: Kansas City Royals On SI — https://si.com/mlb/royals/onsi/free-agent-closer-david-bednar-needs-to-be-on-the-royals-radar-in-the-offseason-01m5apq6fgc6
- Published: 2026-10-19T19:46:35+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kansas city royals, david bednar, bullpen, free agent, royals, mlb, si, royals radar, closer, 2026, save rate, splitter pitch
## Free Agent Closer David Bednar
Royals need to look at David Bednar as they rebuild one of the worst bullpens in the league.
## Strong 2026 Performance
Bednar had a 2.47 ERA, 35 saves, four blown saves in 69.1 innings of work, and 1.9 fWAR in 2026.
## Splitter Pitch Dominance
His splitter had a run value of 14, with hitters hitting .149 and slugging .189 against it.
## Primary Splitter Pitch
Bednar threw his splitter 41.2% of the time, the first season it was his primary pitch.
## Pitching Profile
He has a 99th percentile chase rate of 38.4%, 89th percentile barrel rate of 4.9%, and 88th percentile whiff rate of 30.8%.
## Save Rate and Bullpen Needs
Bednar converted 62 of 69 save attempts for an 89.9% save rate, but Royals had 26 blown saves versus 38 saves.
## Market Value Concerns
Bednar commands a strong market, with potential $15 million AAV on next deal after $9 million with Yankees in 2026.
## Historical Deal Comparison
Spotrac estimates a 3-year, $47.1 million deal similar to Robert Suarez's Braves contract.
## Royals' Recent Deal
Royals gave Carlos Estevez a 2-year pact worth $22.2 million, similar to Bednar's potential deal.
## Morejon Comparison
Morejon could get a $100 million deal, making Bednar a more likely target for Royals.
## Bullpen Improvement
Bednar is a prime candidate to improve Royals' bullpen after being one of the better closers of the 2020s.
## Spending Concern
Royals need to decide if they are willing to spend that much on bullpen improvement.
## Key takeaway

Royals need David Bednar to improve bullpen after he had 35 saves and 2.47 ERA in 2026.