This is one in a series breaking down players on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made the controversial decision to trade two-time All-Star closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline for a trio of prospects.
The initial reaction to the trade was disappointment as some thought the Pirates should have received more for a year and a half control of Bednar. While Ben Cherington said the team received packages of prospects ranked higher than their agreement with the Yankees, the Pirates’ general manager said they preferred the one headlined by Rafael Flores.
Flores signed with the Yankees as an undrafted free agent out of Rio Hondo college in 2022. Despite the humble beginnings, it didn’t take too long for him to emerge as a budding prospect in New York’s system.
After a solid first full season in 2023, Flores burst onto the scene in 2024 when he split the season between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. Combined between the two levels Flores slashed .279/.379/.495 with 31 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBI.
Flores returned to Somerset to begin the 2025 season and was bumped to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre shortly before he was traded to Pittsburgh. After he was acquired, Pittsburgh assigned Flores to Triple-A Indianapolis.
In 36 games with the Indians, he slashed .281/.363/.459 with four doubles, a triple, six home runs and 28 RBI.
The Pirates promoted Flores for his big league debut in a game against the Chicago Cubs on Sep. 17. The 25-year-old went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk and played in seven games to end the season.
Heading into the 2026 season, Flores remains one of the organization’s top prospects. As a player who offers some versatility in that he can catch and play first base, he should eventually get some playing time as a right-handed option to complement Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn at first base.
It could be trickier to get reps at catcher looking at the options the Pirates currently have on the 40-man roster. Joey Bart and Henry Davis split most of the catching duties in 2025 and Endy Rodríguez is expected to be back from elbow surgery.
At the same time, carrying four catchers on the 40-man roster can be tricky. It’s hard to envision the Pirates moving on from Flores via trade considering how high they are on him. But in order to get him consistent reps behind the plate, it’s likely he’ll begin the season with Indianapolis, barring what else happens this offseason.
Mentioned in this article: Pittsburgh Pirates Rafael Flores
More about: Pirates