The Pittsburgh Pirates were quite active at the 2025 trade deadline, sending out multiple players, but the most notable was closer David Bednar. The Bucs sent him to the New York Yankees for a three-player package. While it has been less than a year since the trade, the Pirates may have been better off not making the deal. Their current roster could use a shutdown closer more than it could use any of the prospects the Pirates got back, especially the headliner of the trade, catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores.
Sep 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rafael Flores (43) hits a double for his first major league hit in his major league debut against the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The Pirates May Regret the David Bednar Trade for a While
Bednar is a Lights-Out Closer
After a down year in 2024 and a rough start to 2025, Bednar rebounded to his usual dominant self. Over 62 2/3 innings, the right-hander posted a 2.30 ERA, 2.18 FIP, and a 1.037 WHIP. His 34.7% strikeout rate was a career-high mark. He was also in the 89th percentile of whiff rate. Bednar only walked 7.6% of opponents, with a strong 0.57 HR/9 ratio. He also set a career-high in ground ball rate, at 44.1%. It is the first time since 2021 that he had a GB% of at least 40%. He even set career-lows in ERA estimator numbers, like xFIP (2.70) and SIERA (2.47).
Bednar’s season also included a 22 1/3 inning stretch where he didn’t allow a single earned run. This lasted from May 24 through July 26. In that time, opponents hit a gaunt .133 against him with 29 Ks. Only five reached via free pass, one of which was an intentional walk. Bednar was traded with a full year of control through 2026. He returns to the Yankees as their go-to ninth-inning guy.
Flores is Good, But Questions Remain
Of the three prospects the Bucs got, Rafael Flores Jr. was the headliner of the deal. The catcher/first baseman is an MLB-ready bat. He spent most of 2025 in the minor leagues, slashing .280/.354/.470 between Double-A and Triple-A. Flores showed off plus power, going yard 22 times over 576 plate appearances. He also had a strong barrel rate of 9.9%. The young backstop walked at a 9.7% rate as well. Overall, he had a 134 wRC+. He also made his MLB debut, appearing in six games. It was a small sample size, but he collected three hits and had an impressive 94.8 MPH exit velocity with a .595 expected wOBA on contact.
Flores certainly has upside. He is a consensus top ten prospect in the Pirates’ system, and their system is one of the best in baseball. Baseball America gives him a 60-grade for his power. However, Flores certainly has his own set of question marks. He is a bat-first prospect and had a whiff rate of 34% at Triple-A. His defense behind the plate is questionable, and he mostly played first base in his brief MLB cameo late last season. He almost must hit or drastically improve his defense behind the plate. His hit tool only gets a 40-grade by Baseball America.
What Would Fit the Pirates Better Right Now?
The Pirates certainly have a strong bullpen. Dennis Santana, Justin Lawrence, Isaac Mattson, Gregory Soto, and Mason Montgomery are an underrated but strong core of relievers. The Bucs also added top relief prospect Brandan Bidois to the 40-man roster this offseason. But Bednar would have been the Pirates’ most successful reliever this year. He would also provide some stability in the 9th inning.
There’s even a chance Flores doesn’t open the year on the Pirates roster. The Pirates would first have to ship Joey Bart out to make room for Flores to make the roster. That is still a possibility, but it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Even then, he will also be in camp with former top 100 prospect Endy Rodriguez.
Even if Flores opens the year with the Pirates, Henry Davis will see most of the time behind the plate. Davis will reportedly be the catcher 60% of the time (per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). That leaves Flores with 40% of the remaining playing time. He would still get opportunities at first base, at least. Flores is a right-handed hitter and could offset Spencer Horwitz’s struggles against left-handed pitching.
Pirates insider @JMackeyPG says Henry Davis will play at least 60% of the time and catch Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Bubba Chandler.
He still believes Joey Bart will be traded. Davis has turned into a very solid defensive catcher.
— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) February 12, 2026
Now and Then
The Pirates need to improve their offense as much as possible, and Flores certainly has the potential to help the cause, not just this year, but in the future as well. Hopefully, he will help the Pirates out as a catcher/first baseman. However, he is an unproven commodity. Meanwhile, Bednar would provide a ton of stability at the back of the Pirates’ bullpen. Having such a confident answer for the 9th inning can totally be a game-changer. While Flores may help in the future, Bednar would be useful right now. The Pirates have made a serious effort to improve this offseason. Having Bednar around would have been a huge help to the Pirates’ pen.
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Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports