David Bednar is working out just fine for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Mars graduate and right-handed relief pitcher had a 3.05 earned run average and 27 strikeouts in 20 innings for the Bucs entering this weekend’s series with the Miami Marlins.

Local guys really can come home again.

Joe Musgrove is doing it with San Diego.

Bednar is doing it with the Pirates.

Manager Derek Shelton recently said he believes Bednar has “closer” stuff, though that’s not the team’s plans for him right now. Still, that’s high praise.

So why didn’t the Pirates take another shot at a local guy, at a position of need, when the guy was readily available?

Beats me.

Seneca Valley graduate and veteran catcher Kevan Smith was readily available from Tampa Bay. The Pirates didn’t snatch him up.

The Atlanta Braves did.

On May 19, the Braves purchased Smith’s contract from the Rays.

Purchased it.

That means they didn’t even have to send a player to Tampa Bay. The Pirates — who have already sent too much talent to the Rays — would not have had to risk doing so again.

Smith has a lifetime .273 batting average.

Current Pirate backup catcher Michael Perez is hitting .145 this season, needing a recent surge at the plate to get his average above .100. And Perez’s career average is .203.

Smith will turn 33 in June. No big deal.

Pirate starting catcher Jacob Stallings turns 33 in December.

This is not to suggest Smith would have started over Stallings. It is to suggest the Pirates’ catching tandem would be more effective if Smith was in a Pittsburgh uniform right now.

Smith openly stated his desire to play for the Pirates as recently as last offseason. He asked his agent to inquire about the possibility.

Toward the end of his major league career, Matt Clement asked his agent to do the same thing.

Both got the same answer. Not interested.

Why oh why oh why?

It’s no secret to anybody the Pirates are in for a long season no matter who their catcher is. But Kevan Smith would have been an upgrade at a very low price.

He also would have given area baseball fans another local guy to root for.

When a professional sports team is in a rebuilding mode like the Pirates, that kind of stuff can’t hurt.

Imagine a Bednar-Smith battery for the Bucs? Would have created an interesting stir around here.

The Braves are expected to be contenders in the National League East. Their starting catcher, William Contreras, is 23 years old. Smith gives that team some veteran influence behind the plate.

I can see why Atlanta wanted him.

What I can’t figure out is why the Pirates didn’t.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle