Rafael Flores

Despite Flores entering the year eligible only at first base in most formats, the Pirates would like him to figure more into the team's long-term plans at catcher -- the position he started 91 games at in 2025. The Yankees dealt Flores to Pittsburgh as the headliner for David Bednar at last year's deadline, and while the haul seemed a little light on Pittsburgh's end, reporters were quick to note that the Pirates liked Flores' defense at catcher. A big 6-foot-4 232-pound righty hitter, Flores slashed .280/.354/.470 with 22 home runs and a 25.7 percent strikeout rate in 133 games across Double-A and Triple-A in his age-24 season before getting into seven games the final two weeks with the big club. The bulk of his damage in 2025 came as an older player at Double-A, and there's no reason to expect Flores to have a loud statistical rookie season. He could easily open the year at Triple-A, but it's possible he finishes the year atop the catcher depth chart in Pittsburgh. Read Past Outlooks