Tim Benz: Booing David Bednar doesn't matter. How he is pitching, and how the Pirates fix him, does

Full marks to new Pittsburgh Pirate Rowdy Tellez. That was one heckuva media redirect that he orchestrated in front of David Bednar’s locker Tuesday afternoon.

Before Bednar could speak with reporters in the wake of his third blown save in four opportunities this year, Tellez stepped in front of the cameras to chastise Pirates fans for booing the Mars native at home.

“This is the pride of Pittsburgh. To everybody: We don’t do that out here,” Tellez said of booing Bednar. “We’re a good team. We’re winning for a reason. We’re going to get our man back on track, but what happened today is, I think, unacceptable. We as a group in Pittsburgh (have got to) be better.”

ATTENTION PITTSBURGH … ROWDY TELLEZ HAS SOMETHING TO SAY!!

Rowdy Tellez has a message for the negative way fans responded to David Bednar today.#OurRenegade ????????‍☠️@SNPittsburgh @Pirates pic.twitter.com/x0oDwKoaqq

— Hannah Mears (@mearshannah_) April 9, 2024

Well played, Rowdy. Because, of course, when you pander in front of the press like that and moralize an issue as Tellez did, that gets the social media platforms inflamed and the talk shows buzzing.

The next thing I knew, all of Pittsburgh was having an immediate soap box referendum on the rights and wrongs of booing and hurt feelings.

Instead, we should’ve been focusing on the more important issues: namely, what’s wrong with Bednar — and what’s wrong with how the Pirates are using him?

After all, the bullpen is an alleged area of strength for the Pirates in 2024. So far, aside from Bednar, it has been. But you can’t crow about how good a team’s bullpen is when the closer stinks.

And right now, Bednar is lousy.

Along with the three blown saves, Bednar has a 12.46 ERA. His WHIP is 1.62. In 2 ⅓ innings pitched, he has allowed six earned runs, a homer, six hits and a walk and has hit two batters.

“Just no control in the zone right now. That’s my bread and butter. That’s what makes me good,” the All-Star said. “Just need to get back to throwing strikes in the zone, competing in the zone. When I do that, good things happen.”

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Unfortunately, so far in 2024, very little good has happened anytime Bednar has been on the hill. Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise since Bednar wasn’t ready for Major League action when the team came north for Opening Day. Bednar didn’t pitch for the first two games against the Miami Marlins, even though Game 1 warranted a save situation that was picked up by Jose Hernandez.

The 29-year-old right-hander was sidelined for most of spring training because of a right lat strain. He didn’t pitch until the final week of the Grapefruit League season.

“He’s healthy. It’s a matter of being sharp. When you see pitchers miss spring training, this can have some effect,” manager Derek Shelton said.

OK, then he should’ve been put on the injured list to start the season. Let him work his way back and rehab. Let him knock some rust off in the minors. Just don’t have him get reacclimated in the bottom of the ninth inning in save situations against Major League hitters.

Aroldis Chapman’s $10.5 million contract is the highest on the team. He was acquired for this very reason. That reason was to be the closer if Bednar got hurt or struggled. At this point, both factors appear to be in play. So elevate him from the set-up role in which he has thrived thus far.

To date, Chapman has appeared in six games and allowed one baserunner. He has eight strikeouts in 4 ⅓ innings pitched.

Have him be the closer for now and reconfigure the bullpen accordingly until Bednar is ready. If Shelton can’t get through one quote without blurring the lines between what being “healthy” and what being “ready” means, then Bednar shouldn’t be the closer at this moment.

I don’t want to besmirch Tellez. He was just trying to be a good teammate. He was definitely peacocking for the cameras in the process. But this is 2024. I expect nothing less at all times.

That said, how the crowd is reacting to Bednar’s struggles doesn’t matter at all in the grand scheme of things.

What matters much more is how Bednar himself reacts — and how Pirates management responds with their plans to restructure the bullpen until Bednar gets himself right.