North Shore Nine

The Pirates traded David Bednar to the Yankees, and the NS9 crew jumped on an emergency pod to react—spoiler: we’re not happy. In return for the two-time All-Star closer, the Bucs got Rafael Flores, a 24-year-old catcher/1B with major strikeout concerns, plus two lottery ticket A-ballers. That’s it. No top-100 prospect. No MLB-ready talent. Just more quantity over quality from Ben Cherington.

The crew breaks down why this trade feels like a complete failure—from the missed opportunity of a true bidding war to the confusing roster fit of Flores. Bednar, a Pittsburgh native who embraced the city and dominated for years, deserved better. And so did Pirates fans.

This pod is packed with honest frustration, brutal truths about the direction of the franchise, and a farewell to one of the few guys who actually wanted to be here.

Listen now on your favorite podcast platform or watch the full episode on YouTube. Let’s talk it out. Let’s vent. Let’s get through this together.